Loki Laufeyson's Atonement
by Laufeyson'sWife
Summary: Set AFTER the Avengers, Loki is brought home and is to be punished for his actions. He must prove to the Gods he deserves to keep his place amongst them. Rated M for later.
1. Welcome Home

\Not much had changed. No, not much had changed at all in Asgard since Loki, God of Mischief and Lies, had left to seek power in Midgard. And why would it? It was perfect in all it's glory. It was, after all, home to the Gods, and it truly looked it. The whole place was simply covered in gold. Even the horse stables were a sight to be seen. The castle itself was a magnificent sight. At least, it would've been, if not for the people whom Loki knew was inside it.

Loki, truly, had missed his home. He always loved it, it's beauty, it's freedom. It gave him anything he ever needed. Anything. He was a Prince of Asgard then, and he had lived a blissful life. It did come to an end though, his bliss, and that was why he was now being brought back to Asgard, in what they used as handcuffs, with a contraption on his mouth to keep him from speaking.

As they walked down the bifrost, the bridge that led them to the other realms, he thought back to when he left. He had had no intentions on returning, not after his father basically told him he wouldn't have been able to do anything to help Asgard. He remembered dangling there, hanging onto Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, as the bifrost fell into the abyss below them.

"I could've done it father! For you… For all of us." he had told them.  
"No, Loki." Odin had said.

Thor, his brother, had protested before Loki had let go of Mjolnir, falling into the wormhole below.

Loki winced at the thought of anything Odin had said bothering him enough to leave his beloved home. Odin had been his father all his life, and Loki had loved him. Just like his brother and mother, Frigga. As much as he had told Thor he hadn't anymore, Loki did see him as his brother. He would never truly be able to see anything else. He knew he would feel nothing different for his mother either._ Mom,_ he thought, realizing how much he had missed her. The only soul in the nine realms that would ever be able to get through to him, to make him do the right thing.

Odin was different, though, and Loki's sentiment for seeing his mother left as soon as he thought about seeing the Allfather. Who had Odin thought he was, taking Loki from his true home, his true race? Loki wasn't an Asgardian by blood. He was a Frost Giant, a Jotun. The very people that he had tried to destroy the day he left Asgard. He hated knowing what was truly in his blood. And it was Odin's fault. Loki felt a fire ignite in his chest, knowing very well he would face punishment from the Allfather. Maybe his mother would push Odin to take it easy on him. He shook his head, knowing nothing she would say would save Loki from what the Allfather decided to do.

A guard stopped them at the gate to the castle, putting his hand up to the other four guards surrounding Loki.

"The Allfather wishes him to be kept in a cell until he is ready for him." the guard said.

"Then we shall do as he says." the other guard said, bowing to the man.

The door opened and they went inside. There it was. That smell of food. A feast was being held, a celebration for Thor's return to Asgard. Loki walked with the guards up several flights of stairs, the smell of roasted turkey and bread never leaving his nostrils. As they walked down a hall, Loki noticed a familiar door, knowing it was his old chambers. He wondered what was in there, now that he hadn't been in it since before he left. Was there a bed still? A privy with his belongings? His books that he learned his magical arts from as a boy? Perhaps his blankets would still hold his scent.

His thoughts were interrupted when the guards came to a stop at a cage. He stared at it for a moment, knowing it was an enchantment. Magic was the only thing that could hold him, a Master of Trickery. They led him inside of it, and undid his cuffs and mouth harness. He took in his surroundings. He laughed to himself, unable to shake the feeling that the prison looked like the one he had been in on a ship in Midgard. He knew it was different though, much different, because those pathetic mortals couldn't keep him caged… He would be staying in this one.

Loki sat down as the guards walked away. He rubbed his face, tired from the day's journey and events. It was only earlier today that he had been on Midgard, leaving with his brother, hearing Thor promising the mortals Loki would see punishment for what he'd done to Earth. It had taken a force of elite super-humans to bring Loki's actions to a stop. He snickered at this. How many were there, six? Six people had to take him down. And it was no easy task. He felt his grin fade as he thought of how Thor had been among the six, aiding Earth in it's battle. He didn't quite know where he and his brother stood. Thor would undoubtedly have words for him, and he, curiously enough, was anxious to hear them. Loki had been brought back to be punished and a part of him wondered if it was an opportunity for redemption. More of a wonder, did he even want redemption? Redemption and getting his old life back were different things. Especially since his old life was never going to come back. It was impossible. He knew the truth and he knew he couldn't live with it. He didn't want to.

Hours passed and Loki had been falling in and out of sleep. He layed there, his arm propped up under his head, his other on his stomach, fighting the heaviness his eyelids currently possessed. He hated sleep. It was something he never particularly enjoyed. It left him in a weakened, unconscious state, and it was a waste of time. Time he could be doing something else. He heard footsteps down the hallway. He looked over and Thor approaching the cage. Loki sat up slowly, looking up at him.

"Are you hungry?" Thor asked.  
"Not particularly." Loki said.  
"How is that?"  
"I just am not hungry."  
"Very well. Are you ready to see father?"  
"No." Loki told him. "Tell him I've cancelled our meeting."  
"Stop, brother." Thor said. "Do you not realize how serious this is? What you've done, it is not something to prod jokes at."

Loki looked down at his feet, knowing he was only upsetting Thor further.

"Brother…" Loki said, looking back up to him. "What will he do?"  
"I know not… But I know it will not be something you desire." Thor said, stepping closer to the cage, his shoulders dropping from their squared position he had them in to begin with. "Is there anything you need? He will see you tomorrow morning."

Loki thought, knowing that he couldn't have much. He sighed, knowing he couldn't say it without sounding weak.  
"Can I see Mother…?" he said, searching Thor's eyes for any answer as Thor took in the question.  
"She… would see you…" Thor said. "But it'd not be until after father spoke with you."  
"Right…" Loki said, not wanting that to be the answer he got. He nodded, looking away from Thor. "Then nothing else."  
"Brother…. I do not look forward to the next day…. But know I do support whatever father decides."  
"Why wouldn't you? You're his son, his pride and joy. Perfect Thor-"  
"Loki." He looked up at Thor, realizing he was doing it again. Brooding. He bit his tongue, unable to say anything else. Thor sighed. "… I will do what I can to make sure you are safe. You are my brother, and it does not change no matter what you do or think."

Loki walked back over to the bed and sat, not wanting to say anything else. It was pointless. He was a cunning, silver tongued God, and he just couldn't help himself sometimes. He had a smart mouth. It got him in trouble often as a boy. He smiled slightly, remembering a time when he had told Odin Thor was the one to steal the Allfather's septor. He had believed Loki, and scolded Thor, only to find out that Loki had taken it to prank his father. So small. Something so little in the past turned into something so huge in the future. Was it symbolism? No. Loki chose his own path, no matter that case. No one would control him.

"I must go now brother." Thor said, yanking Loki out of his thoughts. "I will see you tomorrow… Sleep well."  
"Goodnight…. Brother." Loki said, trying to show a sign that he deserved the respect Thor was giving him. Of all the Gods, Thor was the one that Loki ever did feel respect for, even if it wasn't constant.

Thor walked away and Loki put his head in his hands, thinking of what to do. He couldn't escape, but he didn't want to even begin to think about what kind of punishment the Allfather would be bringing onto him. No, he thought. I will face the punishment like a man. But he wasn't a man. He was a God. A God deceived, and lied to. He was the Master of Lies, how could he have been so foolish his entire life? But was he really to blame? He had never known another man to be his father, it wasn't one man's word against anothers. Odin was the only father he'd known. He shook his thoughts away, not wishing to dwell on such things.  
More footsteps were coming down the hall and Loki sat upright on the bed. His stomach lurched when he saw his mother. He stood quickly, knowing his place below her rule. It was second nature. It hadn't changed since he'd been gone. He crossed his arm across his chest and bowed to her.

"Loki…" she said, and he stood straight again and walked over to her. "How I hate it so, to see you in this prison."  
"Mother… I… I am gladdened to see you."  
"I am forbidden to be here." she told him bluntly.  
"I know." Loki said, hearing the tone in her voice. He knew she was going against her husband, her King, to speak with Loki. But he was her son and she would speak to him when she desired to. Loki had always thought he got his attitude from her.  
"I must admit, I do not know what to say to you, Loki… I have missed you… But I know I did not raise my son this way… To kill, or to destroy. I did not."

Loki hung his head, not wanting to hear the words coming out of her mouth. He hated the way she could do that, make him feel so terrible about anything he's done. Maybe it was a motherly thing, Loki did not know. He just knew it made him feel guilty.  
"Mother… I am sorry for what this… Please, do not take responsibility for what I have done."  
"I do not." she said, making him look up at her. "Like I said, I know I did not raise my son to be this way… Yet here you stand…"  
"I missed you." Loki said, putting his hand against the enchantment.

Frigga smiled, unable to not feel love for her son. She saw the inner struggle spreading on his face, causing her to gather all of her might to not break. She stepped closer to him, wishing to let him out.

"Loki, you must be strong. I know not what your father will do… But whatever he decides.. You must be strong." she said, seeing the tears in his eyes.  
"Why do I feel such hatred for everything?" Loki asked, fighting to not show his emotions.  
"I don't have the answer to that, Loki… I know not your feelings, but I know you are not only capable of hatred, and deceit. Even now, you push away sentiment, because you see yourself weak. Even against your own family."  
"Mother, I just… I cannot separate emotion from weakness. I do not know why."  
"Loki, do you remember when you were little and I told you and your brother that when you found a maiden worthy enough of your hand, you would treat her like she was above you?"  
"Yes." Loki said, preparing to have his theories on love killed, like his mother simply could with any idea he could conjure up.  
"You cannot love someone like that until you love yourself like that… You know what you are, what is in your blood and you hate it. And it causes you to not let anyone close to you, because you fear they will hate you aswell." Frigga said. Loki felt his brain unfolding at that moment, trying to convince himself she held no truth in that statement. But she did. "I love you Loki… Never forget that, because it will never change."  
"I love you too, mother." he said, and she gave him a small smile before she slowly walked away.

Loki sighed and placed his head against the cage. He hated how she made him feel, so weak. He was not weak. He shook it off and went to his bed. He could not escape it. Not here, not now. He was always weak, so long as he was in this prison. He layed down, wishing his thoughts would stop jockeying for position in his mind. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.


	2. Punishment

Loki opened his eyes the next morning to hear guards marching down the hallway. He sat up as he rubbed his eyes, knowing it was time. He watched them come to a halt outside his prison, and it opened. Four of them stepped forward and bound Loki's hands behind his back. They started walking down to the throne room, Loki playing the scenario through in his mind. He couldn't be sentenced to death, it would be too easy. Odin wouldn't do that. No, he would give a punishment that Loki would have to LIVE with. Something that made Loki angry, no doubt. Then again, when did Odin not aggravate him?

The walk to the throne room was shorter than Loki had remembered it. The doors opened as they approached, and a bright light hit Loki as they walked in. He saw the throne, Odin sitting in it. A council had been assembled. Other Gods, to hear Loki's sentence. He had been known to turn Gods against each other in his past, and they were taking every precaution to ensure he didn't do it again. He would live out his sentence, and there was no God in the room that would see otherwise. Loki stopped at Odin's feet and was told to bow before his king. Loki did so, half-heartedly.

"Loki Odinson-"  
"Laufeyson." Loki said, correcting Odin.

Odin seemed to think before speaking next. Loki had just given up a loophole to his sentence. He cursed himself internally for this.

"Loki Laufeyson, you have committed crimes against Asgard and Midgard, realms we Gods are to protect. You have committed treason, and stolen from your Kingdom. Do you have anything to say for yourself." Odin said.

"No." Loki replied, making the Gods shuffle in their seats. "… Sir."

"You have been given the right to receive atonement, but I, Odin Allfather, have chosen to give you punishment." Odin said, and Loki felt no surprised feelings at this. "You will be sent to Midgard, and live there, amongst the people you feel are not worthy of you being their God. From this day on, you are hereby banished from Asgard, unless you find atonement in Midgard, in which case, you may be acquitted from your crimes."

The Gods seemed to agree with Odin's statement, until one God, spoke up. Loki turned to see Thor, standing amongst the council.

"Will he have his powers in Earth, Allfather?" he asked.

Loki looked back to Odin.

"He may have his powers, but they will be limited. I define the limitations to the council, as that they may only be used to benefit others, and not himself." Odin said. "If there are no more questions, this council is dismissed."

The guards took Loki away from the throne room, and back to his prison, so that he could wait for the people to send him off. He sat there, thinking of how he could get out of the sentence. Maybe he could talk his Mom into changing Odin's mind? No, it wasn't going to change. Every God in the nine realms knew what was said and what he was responsible for. Loki felt his heart quickening at the thought of being forced out of his home, again. He was sick of taking orders. The man had the nerve to try calling Loki his son… He couldn't fathom how Odin's mind worked. He shook his head and looked up, hearing someone in the room with him. He stood at the sight of his crying mother.

"I am so sorry, Loki…" she cried, as if she could've done anything about Odin's decision. Loki was truly unsure of what to say to her, or anyone, for that matter. He stepped closer to her, trying to look open for conversation as to make her feel better about the situation. "I can't even imagine what it'll be like knowing both of my son's have been banished to Midgard."

Loki understood this feeling. If he was the parent of children who had been banished to Midgard, he would be ashamed too. It was truly a disgusting place for a God such as himself to live.

"I am sorry to have failed you, mother." he said, finding his voice. "Know that I will try to make you proud there… Will you watch over me?"

"I cannot interfere with anything… But know that I am here. And I will be here when you come back."

"If I come back…"  
"You will. I know you will." she said.

Loki did not wish to argue her on whether or not he would find atonement in his punishment, because it wasn't what she needed. He had a lot of damage control to do, and he hated the thought that he had ever hurt his mother. He heard yet more footsteps coming down the hallway, before seeing Thor.

"Brother." he said.

"Thor…." Loki said. "… how did you survive in the mortal world?"

"It was not as hard as you are thinking… But it will take patience." Thor said. "You are not royalty there… You are a simple man."

Loki hated him saying that, because Loki had yet to feel different. His powers were still his, until he touched Earth.

"Be strong, my son. And know you are loved." Frigga said.

Loki nodded.

"Brother, I have a message for you to send when you get to Midgard." Thor said. "Unless you think yourself to high of stature."

"I will be your errand boy." Loki said, defeated.

"Jane Foster…. Tell her that I am…. Thinking of her." Thor said, choosing his words carefully.

"That's it?"

Thor nodded. Guards came down the hallway, ready to take Loki to the bifrost. They re-cuffed him.

"Anything else to say, sir?" a guard asked, ready to put the mouth piece on Loki's face again.

Loki looked at his mother and brother.  
"I love you both." he said, then they put the metal on his mouth. He followed the guards down the flights of stairs that they had led him up not even a day before. Once they got down to the bifrost, Odin was waiting there for him.

"Loki, you are now banished from Asgard and I take your freedom of powers away from you. If they do not benefit another human being, you may consider yourself a mortal." Odin said to him. Loki nodded, and stepped over to the portal that would take him to Midgard. "I hereby, cast you out."

Loki was sent flying through the portal, and soon landed, hard, on his back.


	3. Hospitality

Loki coughed, laying there in the grass, trying to get his lungs to work properly again. He heard feet. It wasn't human, there were four different feet hitting the ground. It was a rhythmic pattern. For a moment, he listened, wondering if whatever it was was close enough to see him. It was coming at a steady pace. He turned his head to search. He sat up, staring at the animal. Asgard had horses, it was their transportation, but this horse seemed different. It was small, and it was scared of whatever had just occurred to put Loki in this field. He stood, slowly, not taking his eyes off the creature. It walked down from it's trot, and stared at him. For a moment, they just stood, gazing at each other. Loki didn't know why, but he stepped towards it. The horse followed suit and stopped in front of Loki, putting it's head down as he put his hand on the soft hair. He smiled, loving that he saw something familiar. He pat the horse, working his way around to it's side, wondering if it was wild. Just as he contemplated whether or not there were some sort of stables close by, he heard someone yell. He looked around as the horse started walking away from him. He saw a woman running towards them, and the horse greeted her.

"Scout!" she said, checking the horse's body. When she was satisfied that the horse was not in danger, she looked to Loki. He stared, not knowing what to say. "Who are you?"

Loki looked at the horse, then back to the woman.

"Who are you?" she repeated, putting a rope around the horse's neck. "What're you doing on my property?"

"I… I don't know how I got here."

"You're lying." she said, and he noticed the upset look on her face. "Did you open the gate?"

"Gate?"

"The horse gate. As you can clearly see, my horse is loose in the field, unattended."

"I… No, I did not."

She seemed to be taking in his appearance, thinking about what to say next.  
"Well…. Do you know your way back from wherever you came from?"

Loki looked up at the sky, then back to her.

"I don't know where I am."

"Right…" she sighed. "… I guess, come with me, I'll take you back to the road."

"Road?"

"Yeah…?" she said, walking away. The horse followed the lead she had on it. Loki followed her, knowing he wouldn't get out of the field any other way.

"This is your field?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Who gave it to you?"

"I bought it."

"And you let your horse on your land?"

"That's the purpose of having the field. If you didn't notice, he's a 1200 lb animal, he likes to eat."

"Where are the stables?"

"I don't stable him, he's got a pasture."

Loki was confused, never hearing of anything but stables for a horse. It must be a Misgardian thing, he decided. He looked at the woman, taking in how she looked. She had long brown hair, to about the middle of her back. She had a certain way of carrying herself, and Loki could sense she had her guard up, although he did not know why. After moments passed with silence, she stopped, trying to catch her breath. The horse had a long stride, and did not walk slowly. They had to keep a quick pace, even when she told the horse to slow down. She looked at Loki.

"Are you ok?" she asked. "Wanna ride instead of walk?"

"Ride? How so?"

"You get on his back…?" she said, staring at him.

"With no saddle?"

"Yep, he rides bareback just fine."

"I…. No, I'm fine."

She nodded, patting the horse's neck.

"So what're you doing out here?" she asked, walking again.

"I… I don't know. I woke up in the field."

"You homeless then?"

"Hardly."

"Hungover?"

"What?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

Loki didn't like the way she spoke to him. She knew nothing about him, why is she throwing accusations around? He didn't argue, not wanting her to get angry and leave him out here In the middle of nowhere. They walked for a while, the silence making it even longer. Loki was taken by surprise when the horse suddenly let out a loud whinny. Another one was heard, farther away. They approached a fence that led up to a barn. It was truly a beautiful sight, and Loki smiled at it.

"Alright, Scout. Home you are." the woman said, leading the horse back into the fence. She tied the rope around the gate, watching another horse running up toward the horse she had called Scout. The whinnied, then started grazing.

"This is beautiful." he said to her.

She smiled, watching the horses.

"I know." she sighed, and she looked at Loki. "So. Here's the road. You know where you're going?"

"I… Not exactly."

"Do you need to use a phone?"

"A what? … No." Loki said, trying to gather his thoughts. "I will find my way."

"Well I don't want you lost out here, you might not be able to get back." Loki was unsure of what she wanted to hear from him. He looked at her, and she cleared her throat. "Want some food?"

He nodded, not having eaten in almost two days.

"I would enjoy some sustenance." he said, and she laughed.

"Come on." she said, leading him up the pavement. They came to a big house, and Loki could smell some kind of cooking. It made him miss the smells of the feasts in Asgard.

She held the door open for him. It was hardly a door, made up of weird mesh. He followed her until she came to a room that had other people in it. They were laughing and talking amongst each other. They stopped when they saw the woman come in with Loki.

"We have room for one more tonight?" she asked and a blonde woman stood up.

"Of course." she said. "Who is this?"

"Um, I found him in the hay field…." the woman said, looking at Loki.

Loki hesitated, considering lying about his name. What good would that do? He'd need to be accustomed to a new name. No one here knew him. They stared at him, and he shook his thoughts again.

"I am Loki."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Loki." the blonde woman said. "My name is Caren, I'm Karliah's Mom."

"I'm Karliah." the girl said, looking at Loki.

"You allergic to anything?"

"I… Don't think so…"

"Good, cuz we already started cooking." Caren said, and Karliah laughed a little.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home, but the horses still need fed, Kar."

Karliah nodded, looking back to Loki again.

"Wanna sit down and wait?" she asked.

"I will follow you."

"Ok. But you're working if you do."

Loki did not know what she meant by this, but followed her back outside, nontheless. She led him out to a huge wooden building. It had machinery in it that Loki had never seen before in his life. It smelled of a weird scent, which eminated from big round yellowish bales of grass. Karliah walked over to them, and rolled one out.

"Can you help me lift this?" she asked.  
Loki grabbed the wires that bound what he now knew was old grass, and lifted it with her. They put it in a bucket that was on wheels.

"One more." she said, rolling another one out. He helped her again, and she went to the back of the bucket. She lifted it by the two wooden prongs that stuck out and she pushed it out of the barn. They went down to the fence that held the horses and she told him how to separate the hay into the two pastures. When they were done, they went back to the house.

"Did you check Buckshot's foot?" Caren asked as she put the food on the table.

"No. He was out by the pond, I didn't go in."

"Farrier is coming out on Tuesday."

"Good, Scout needs his done." Karliah said, sitting down at the table. Loki stared at the short length of it. It was truly small. "You can sit here."

Loki did, noticing his chair was made of wood. It was so different. He was given a bowl of what Caren said were potatoes. Loki put the bowl down in front of him and picked up his fork. He heard Karliah laugh. He looked at her.

"You gonna share?" she asked, looking at the bowl placed in front of him.

"I… Yes."

The other people that were in the room laughing came into the room and placed themselves at the table. He looked at them, two men and a woman.

"Who is this?" the man said who took the head of the table. Loki figured he was the ruler of this land.

"His name is Loki, Karliah invited him for dinner."

"Loki, huh?" the man said, grabbing his glass of what Loki knew was milk.

"This is my Dad, Steve, and his friend Jeremy and his wife Jenny." Karliah said, pointing to the people in turn as she introduced them. He bowed his head slightly.

"It is nice to meet you sir." Loki said.

Steve seemed to like his actions, because he smiled and looked at Caren, raising his eyebrows. Caren smiled back to him. Karliah scooped the potatoes onto Loki's plate and then passed them around the table. Loki looked down at his silverware, noticing they looked the same as Asgardian silverware. He picked up his fork and poked it into the piece of meat that lie on his plate, suddenly wishing he was back in his beloved home.


	4. A Little Fun

**Hey guys! So, I hope this story isn't too terrible so far. I've got good plans for it, I just gotta get there. Thanks guys, I am so excited to have my first follower on this! (: Enjoy!**

Loki sat on the steps on the front porch as Karliah sat beside him, trying to get answers from him. It had turned out that the property was not hers, but her parents'. She was asking him every question imaginable.

"Where are you from?" she asked, picking at her fingernails. "You from town? …. Where do you live? … Do you have a family?"

Loki looked up from his hands, and stared into her brown eyes. The brown was so dark, they could've been black. They were a beautiful sight. He sighed and shook his head.

"No family?" she asked.

"My family has banished me from my home." he said. She reached forward and touched his armor, inspecting the gold on his chest.

"Banished?" she said, touching the armor on his arms now

"Yes."

"Where are you from?"

"I… I am from a…" Loki didn't know what to say without telling her everything.

"A what?" she said, and he could tell how badly she wanted to know,

"I need not answer to you."

"Well then, maybe you should be on your way."

Loki looked out at the pastures that held her horses, then stood.

"Thank you for your hospitality." he said, and he began walking.  
"Where are you going to go?" she asked, standing aswell.

He did not answer, instead, just kept walking. He owed her no explaination. He was a God, and did not answer to mortals. He honestly knew nothing of where he was. Where would he even go? He had no destination. He had been thrown into this world, this life, and had to stay here. He walked until it started getting dark out, then stood still on the side of the road, not wanting to walk blindly. If he had his powers, he would be able to see. He would be able to tell where he was. He was a mortal man, not worthy of his abilities, and so he sat, intent on waiting for light to return so as to keep journeying towards something that would compel him to stay and live his life in Midgard. He smirked, knowing that would never be found here.

He heard something coming in his direction and saw two large lights. He remained still as it slowly stopped beside him.

"What're you doing?" a voice said and he saw Karliah in the machine. "Get in."

Loki stood and slowly got into the contraption. She stared at him, and he felt it. He looked at her.

"Alright." she said. "Look… I'm gonna take you somewhere for you stay tonight. Tomorrow we find out where you came from."

Loki looked out the window as she started driving again. She reached out and pushed a button, making music sound in the car. He saw her slightly bouncing in the corner of his eye, singing along to the music. He found humor in this, never seeing anyone do such a thing. They kept driving until they hit a town. After turns and stops and more turns, Karliah finally stopped the machine and they got out.

"Ok, so, this is a friend's house. I crash here right now, so that's what'll happen." she told him. He nodded and followed her. He could hear more music inside the house. "Great… they're drinking."

"Drinking?"

"Yeah. Getting drunk." she said, a small laugh riding on her voice. She opened the door and a loud greeting erupted at the sight of her. She laughed and Loki watched a tall, slender man walk over and hug her. There was a girl there too, who hugged her after the man was done. He looked at Loki.

"Oh, looks like you've been partying already."

"Will, this is Loki, Loki, this is Will." Karliah said. Will shook Loki's hand, smiling. "And this is Ashley."

Ashley shook Loki's hand next and Will handed Karliah a bottle.

"We are bumpin tonight, girl." he said.

"No, I'm not drinking." Karliah said.

"You suck." Ashley said, walking back over to her own bottle.

Karliah and Will walked over to the couch and sat, Loki staying by the door.

"Where did you find him?!" Will mumbled to Karliah and she hushed him, knowing he was asking for his own personal desires. "Were there more?"

"He was in my field today and he's been tailing me since."

"Is he good?"

"Stop it!" she hissed. She looked over at Loki. "You can come sit down if you want."

"Thank you." he said, joining them.

Karliah grabbed the bag of chips that were on the coffee table and offered some to Loki. He enjoyed sitting there, listening to the laughter of the two intoxicated people, Karliah joining in on occasion. They did this for most of the night, until Will offered Karliah a bottle of alcohol again. She sighed, giving into temptation. She looked at Loki.

"I only drink if Loki does."

"Oh… No. I shouldn't."

"Why not?" Ashley said, handing him a bottle of his own. "It'll be fun. We're not going anywhere, it's just us four."

Loki looked at Karliah, then sighed, opening the top of the glass. He smelled it, never seeing Asgardian drinks in these kinds of containers.

"It's Kahluha." Karliah said. "It's good, just try it."

Loki slowly tipped the bottle up to his lips, immediately tasting a creamy substance, followed by a sting in his throat that caused him to cough. Karliah smiled, taking a drink herself.

"Ok, let's make a game out of this, I can't handle just sitting here." Will said, standing up. He faced them, his bottle in one hand and a potato chip in the other. "What's it gonna be?"

"Well, in honor of our new friend, I think we should play I never, cuz it'll let us get to know him." Ashley said, her voice very dazed.

"No!" Karliah whined. "I can't. I always end up trashed at the end of this game."

Will laughed and raised his glass. "It's not about you darlin, we wanna get to know Loki."

Loki heard Karliah sigh.

"I do not know how to play this game." Loki said seriously.

"Simple, honey. We each take turns saying something we've never done. If you've done it, you drink. If you haven't, you don't drink. For example…" Will said, thinking. "I've never had sex with a female. Now you drink."

Loki took a drink, feeling the sting of the alcohol once more.

"I've never ridden a horse." Ashley said.

"Are we drinking by how many times we've done it, cuz you might wanna crack open two more bottles." Karliah said, tipping up her bottle. Loki noticed her wince afterwards, and he felt better about not taking to the alcohol very well.

Will tipped up his drink aswell.

"I've never had a one night stand." Karliah said, laughing as Will tipped up his bottle.

"You cheap shot that at me every time!" Will said, finally eating the chip in his hand. He sat down on the floor, looking at Loki.

Loki realized it was his turn to say something.

"I've never… Kissed a man."

Every else tipped up their bottles, laughing at him.

"I've never been out of the state." Ashley said.

Loki tipped up his bottle with Karliah and Will. Loki wondered if the drink would always sting his throat, not liking how it made him cough every time he drank.

As the night went on, his curiosity was cured, as the twinge went away slowly. He knew he was starting to feel good, and he didn't like the idea. He recalled a time Thor had convinced Loki to drink and they both had ended up passing out in the throne room with their friends. The Allfather was most unhappy the next morning, to find some rebellious teenagers sleeping in the room as a council of Gods gathered. Loki laughed, remembering how competitive he and his brother got when it came to out drinking each other.

The night was a good one, as the more Loki drank, the more memories were suppressed in his mind. He welcomed this, no longer wanting to think of his brother, knowing he was another realm away.


	5. A Friend From A Mistake

**Hey guys! Just wanna say thanks for keeping on with the reading, I swear it's gonna keep getting more and more interesting! Please R&R! Thanks and hope you enjoy!**

Karliah slowly opened her eyes, feeling a headache from the previous night of drinking. She tried moving, but felt a massive pain in her abdomen. She layed back down, looking around. Her heart dropped when she saw Loki laying next to her. There he was, laying on his stomach, sheets draped over his waist, his naked back exposed to the world. Her mouth hung open, knowing exactly what had happened. She put her hands over her mouth as he stirred, not knowing if she could sneak away and avoid him knowing. Too late. He had opened his eyes and lifted his head off of the pillow. He looked at her, knowing what he had done. He lifted himself up, getting out of the bed. As he quickly dressed himself, Karliah layed there in shock. She didn't know what to say to break the ice. Hadn't she just said the previous night that she'd never had a one night stand? She felt so awkward about waking up and not remembering what they had done.

She tried sitting up but he went over to her side, and pushed her back down to the bed. She scowled at him.

"Don't." he said. "Don't move."  
"Why?" she asked, not understanding what he meant. "I need to get dressed."  
"If you get up, you will be in an immense amount of pain. You need to lie still."

Karliah never listened to anyone who thought they could order her around. She tried anyways, and low and behold, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She layed back down, feeling an ache in between her legs.

"Oh my god, that…. That is just… No ok." she said, trying to breathe through the pain.  
"You need to rest." he said.  
"How do you know that?" she asked. "How'd you know I would be hurt? … What did we do?"  
"I would think that would be obvious."  
"I meant, do you remember what happened?"

Loki did remember. He remembered every second.

"I just know."  
"I want my clothes."  
Loki snapped his fingers and she was dressed. She flinched, then stared up at him, amazed.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked.  
"No."  
"How… How did you do that?" she said, her body beginning to shake.  
"I…" Loki said, not even realizing what he'd done. I guess he literally meant whatever helps a mortal deserves magic…he thought. Karliah stared as he went to the door of her bedroom. He turned back to her before turning the knob. "I will send your friends in here."

She nodded as he left. She hoped he wouldn't leave the house. She felt terrible about what had happened and she wouldn't see him again, if he left. She layed her head back, waiting for Will and Ashley to open the door. She gently place her hand on her thigh, slowly moving it up to her womanhood. She winced, knowing she had tears inside. She didn't dare investigate further. She pulled her hand away, stopping at her abdomen. It felt like she had a huge cramp there. It was true pain.

The door opened and saw her friends. They closed the door behind them, smiling slightly. They sat down next to her bed.

"He says you aren't feeling well." Ashley said.  
"Did he say why?" Karliah asked.  
"No…. Why?" Will said, and Karliah was silent. Will and Ashley laughed.  
"No way, shut up!" Ashley said.  
"I… I told you this is why I don't drink, I just get out of control." Karliah pleaded.  
"Tell us everything!" Will said. "Was he good?"  
"I don't know."  
"How big?"  
"Guys. I don't know. I don't remember anything."  
"That's a bummer." Ashley said, rubbing her own head.  
"I'm never playing your games again." Karliah said. "My God…"

Loki appeared there, at the foot of her bed. Will and Ashley were just as surprise as Karliah was when he was just suddenly there. Loki looked at each of them in turn, looking astonished himself. Moments went by, and no one said a word. They all just stared at each other. Loki looked at Karliah.  
"Well, we'll just uh… Give you two some privacy…" Will said, getting up and following Ashley out of the room.  
"How do you do that?" Karliah asked.

Loki hadn't used magic at all, there was no need for it. He couldn't have, no mortal needed him… No, he was just summoned. He was called. He had heard of Gods being called by mortals, but never had he been called to one.

"What did you say?" he asked.  
"I… What?"  
"Before I came here, what did you say?"  
"I don't know."  
"What were your exact words?!" Loki said, getting irritated.  
"I… I said, 'my god'." she told him.

Yes. She had called him. He walked around the bedside, sitting next to her.

"You are… scaring me…" she said.

Loki looked at her, not wishing her to be frightened. He sighed, not wishing to reveal what he was. There may not be a choice though, and what harm would it do? He couldn't be controlled here, he wasn't dangerous. Not unless another mortal needed him to be.

"I… Am not what you think I am…"  
"What do I think you are?" Karliah asked, wondering what he was talking about.  
"Whatever you might think, I am not." he said. "I am… Not from here."  
"Where are you from?"  
"I am from a place far away from here…. It's called Asgard."

Karliah had never heard of this place, even in books.

"Is it a foreign place?"  
"Foreign to a mortal."  
"Mortal?"  
"You are a mortal."  
"I know what a mortal is… But why are you calling me that?"  
"Because… that is what you are… And it's not what I am."  
Karliah looked around the room, trying to keep an open mind with this man. He was very strange, very different. He had such a weird aura about him… It made her so curious.

"So, if you are not mortal… What are you?" she asked. "Immortal?"  
"Yes…" he said. "I am Loki, God of Mischief and Lies."  
"God?" she said, smiling a little. "You're a God?"  
"Yes."  
"I've never heard of you before."  
"Us Gods like to stay in our own realms. Midgard isn't a place we enjoy dwelling."  
"Midgard?"  
"Earth."  
"Oh…. Well… Show me something." she said. "Show me something a God can do."

Loki shook his head.

"I cannot." he told her. "My powers are limited."  
"Why?"  
"I… Had them… Revoked."  
"Did you piss someone off with your lies?" she asked.

Loki laughed, her words truly amusing him.

"No… Well, sort of… It is a long story… But I am forced to live here, on Mid- … Earth…. I have to until I prove I'm worthy enough to come home."

Karliah seemed to be thinking, taking in what he was saying. She had general knowledge of Gods, knowing much about Greek Mythology, from movies and school assigned books. She knew nothing of other kinds of mythology. She looked into his eyes. There was hurt in them. She could see that he was upset with this topic of conversation. Surely, a God of manipulation and lies is cunning enough to not show emotion. That would defeat the purpose of being a liar, if people could play with your emotions to get you to budge on your lies.

"Well?" he asked. "What are you thinking?"  
"I… I have no reason not to believe you, with what I've already seen, but.. This just sounds so… Weird."  
"It's not that difficult."  
"So… You're a God. You're immortal, you have superpowers, and you're now forced to live here because you pissed off all the other Gods?"

Loki laughed again. Her attitude was refreshing.

"Yes." he said.  
"Right." she said, looking up at the ceiling. "So… Do you…. Remember anything? About last night?"

Loki nodded.

"Do you know why… I hurt like this?" she asked, half of her not wanting to know the answer.  
"You hurt because… I am a God and you are not."  
"Oh… Super strength?"

He smiled, the very thought of strength making him shake his head. He did have strength, but not the type that could lift a bus with ease.

"You are a mortal, you are weak, you are human. I am a God, I am not a simple human. It is something your body is not used to, I am, surely, bigger than what you've ever been accustomed to."

This made Karliah raise an eyebrow.

"You have an ego, I see." she said, slightly laughing.  
"I speak the truth."  
"I'm sure you do…" she said.  
"What is that supposed to mean?" he chuckled.

She shook her head.

"Nothing." she said. "Can I tell people?"  
"I wouldn't really go and shout it out to the people of the town."  
"I mean Will and Ashley…"  
"Will they go and tell people?"  
"No."  
"Then yes."

She nodded, smiling slightly.

"How long am I on bedrest?" she asked.  
"Until you can sit up without it hurting."  
"Ok…" she said, feeling hunger dig at her stomach. "You should tell them to get me some food."  
"Will they know what you want?"  
"Yep."

Loki nodded, standing.

"I will leave you to rest."  
"Ok…" she said, watching him walk towards the door. "Will you come back?"  
"Yes." he said, looking back to her. "I will."

She smiled, and he left. She rolled her eyes, shaming herself for the situation she had put herself in.


	6. Remembering The Night

**Alright, so I tried writing some smut for you guys, I know I can be good with it, but I tried to stay on the light side. Let me know if it was enough or if it was lacking. I am always sin need of advice to better myself, so please, let me know! Thanks guys, don't forget to R&R!**

* * *

Loki sat on the bed, watching Karliah sleep as he remembered what had transpired the night before….

Ashley and Will had been asleep on the couch, passed out from the drinking game they had played. Karliah and Loki sat next to each other, still playing their game.

"I've never…. Been in a car accident." Karliah said. "Oh wait, I have…. I remember."  
"What is the purpose of a car?" Loki asked.  
"They make the world go round… They take us to our destinies"  
"So we are friends with cars?"  
"Best friends." Karliah said, leaning against him.  
"Karliah tell me something."  
"Mhm."  
"Why is it that Will likes men?"  
"I don't know… He just… Isn't turned on by woman…." Karliah said, not really knowing why.  
"What do you fancy?" Loki asked.

Karliah looked up to him, and smiled.

"Men."

Loki saw how smooth her skin looked in the light. He touched it, being as gentle as his shaky hands would allow him to be. She leaned in and put her lips on his. He didn't know if he should stop it, but knew he didn't want to. He felt a wave of arousal wash over him, not caring why. He was intoxicated, and this is what he did while he got this way. He was accustomed to maidens being at his disposal when he and his brother would drink. It was simply the way they had liked things to be, and he had never done things differently. Why should it be different now? This mortal woman obviously wasn't objecting.

They stood up and continued kissing, Loki feeling tingles going throughout his body. She put her arms around his neck and he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him, and he took her to her bedrooom, with the help of her telling him where to go. He put her on the bed, smelling the alcohol on her breath. He licked her neck and she smiled at the touch. He unfastened the button on her pants, slowly pulling them off as she smiled up at him. He worked on is own clothes now, and she licked her lips at him when she saw his chest. He leaned down, letting her touch him, licking her neck once more.

"Touch me." she said, barely above a whisper.

Loki let his hand slowly run down her side, to her hips, and down to her sensitive area. He massaged slowly, making her head fall back onto the pillow. He smirked as she moaned for him. He slowly slipped his finger inside of her, making her grab a handful of the bed's sheets. She squeezed his bicep with her other hand, loving the pleasure he was giving her. He felt himself growing harder, twitching whenever she moaned. He did this to her as long as he could keep himself under control, then pushed her legs open with his knee and positioned himself to be inside of her. He wasn't thinking clearly, he knew he would hurt her, but for some reason didn't seem to believe it. He pushed himself against her slightly, her neck arching, her face giving off an expression of pain. She relaxed after a moment, and Loki kissed her again. It seemed to help her calm down and he pushed himself further inside.

He had never felt this before… Asgardian woman were strong, they could withstand a God's strength. This woman was so small, so weak. He liked how she felt around him, her whole body. From the walls of her, to her legs, to her arms, she was completely clung to him. He thrust himself into her and she held her chest tightly against his. She seemed to be enjoying the event, she wasn't telling him to stop, she wasn't crying.

Loki let out a moan as she moved her hips with his. She truly felt amazing. He felt her pushing him over and he layed down, Karliah moving to be on top of him. He relxed as she kissed his chest, working her way up to his neck, then his jaw, then his lips. He let her tongue have access to his mouth as she moved her hips at a slowly pace. He breathed heavy, feeling slightly teased by her slow movements. He moved with her, making the feelings more intense.

It didn't take long for Loki to feel her walls clenching, squeezing out an orgasm as she rode him. Her back straightened and her head fell back as she came down from her high. He could feel her energy draining, and he layed her down once more, pushing himself into her, hard.

"Loki… Loki…" she moaned, digging her nails into his back. He smiled at the feeling, knowing she could not hurt him even if that was her intension. He had so much control, so much power over this woman. He bit her neck in return for her digging and she seemed to enjoy it. She pulled at his hair, biting his neck back.

He felt himself reaching his end as he quickened his hard pumping. She held onto him as he spurted his semen into her belly, not stopping his thrusts. She kissed him as they sat still for a moment. After removing himself, he layed beside her, rather than getting dressed and leaving. He pulled her close to him, knowing she was too tired to move, after having him and being intoxicated. She cuddled her face close to his chest, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

Loki layed there, feeling himself growing stiff at the thought of having her under him. He closed his eyes and shook his head, knowing he needed to keep himself under control. At least for now. She was hurt and he wasn't planning on killing anyone while trying to get himself back home.

Home. That was his goal. Not to have mortal woman simply because he could. He would stop this… Whatever it was. He would knock it off quickly, and focus on getting his powers back. This woman would not be helping that case.


	7. Relieved

**Hey guys, so I'm sorry I haven't posted alot today, we're currently moving and I was working all day at the new house today. So, I made this one longer for you, and I will post tomorrow if I can! If not, definitely the next day! This one has some actual deep stuff in it, I don't wish to offend anyone or trigger anyone if they have dealt with self-destructive issues. If it is triggering, PLEASE PM me so that I can edit it and somehow fix this. I do NOT wish to spark that in anyone, I am completely aware that some are more sensitive to topics than others. Just let me know! Anyways, here ya go. R&R! Thanks guys, enjoy!**

* * *

"I'd like a…. Let me get a… I need…." Will said, staring at the speaker box as they sat in the drive-thru of a McDonald's. Ashley and Karliah laughed quietly, knowing he would be sitting here for another five minutes deciding on what he wanted. "… Hang on a second."

He turned to face them and asked what they wanted.

"I want a cheeseburger." Ashley said. "And fries."  
"Same." Karliah said, looking at Loki.  
"Whatever you have." he said, and she nodded.  
"Ok, let me just…. I'm going inside ok?" Will told the speaker box, pulling away from the lane.

Ashley and Karliah laughed, Loki watching her intently. Her smile was so innocent, so happy. It contagiously spread to his own face, and he laughed with them. They went inside the restaurant, Loki receiving several weird looks from people. He was still in his clothes from Asgard, most likely looking strange to the mortals.

"Hey, how about we stop staring?" Will said to some girls that were scowling at Loki. "Not all of us are perfect, mkay?"

Karliah shook her head. Will always sought out confrontation when he could, thinking it only expressed his individuality. They stopped at the front counter, Will leaning on it like it was his own kitchen counter.

"Ok. I need like, ten cheesburgers. And four fries." he said, looking at the others to seek approval.

Loki could feel himself growing hungry, knowing he could eat more than what Will had just ordered for everyone. After adding drinks to the order, Will paid the lady, and handed out cups. Loki took his, looking inside of it. Karliah grabbed his hand and led him to the drink station. They picked a seat and waited for Will to bring the tray of food to them.

"So, you're like, a God." Ashley said, watching Loki drink down the large cup of soda.  
"I like this drink." he said, throwing the cup on the ground. "Another!"

Karliah watched the cup fly across the floor, then looked back to Loki, not being able to hold in her laughter.

"Hey…" she laughed. "Don't do that."  
"I want another."  
"So we refill it, not throw it." she said, putting a hand on Ashley's back. "Breathe Ash."

Ashley's face had turned red, laughing hard at Loki.

"Ok, let me go and get you a cup." Karliah said, leaving the table.  
"So are you and Karliah actually like, together now? Or no?" Ashley said, wiping the tears from her eyes, her smile still glued to her face.  
"I… I know not." Loki said, not entirely sure what she had implied. "Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine, you just crack me up."

Loki ran his eyes over her, trying to see if she meant it literally. Karliah sat down and put another cup in front of Loki.

"Don't throw this one." she said. "If you want more, you refill it, no more throwing things."  
"I understand." Loki said, drinking more of the soda.  
"Note that he likes Pepsi." Ashley said, watching him gulp it down.  
"If you were thirsty you should've said something." Karliah said, helping Will as he place the tray down on the table.  
"Ok, everyone eat until the burgers are gone, we each get a fry." Will said, unwrapping his own food.  
"Here." Karliah said, handing Loki a sandwich.

He picked it up, inspecting the bread that was on it. It was strange. He sank his teeth into it regardless, and finished it quickly. He had eaten three of the burgers before anyone started on their second. Will stared, his face showing something of despair on it.

"You act like you've never been given food." he said.  
"He's a God, he's gotta eat." Ashley said.

Loki had noticed how amazed Ashley was to know what he was. He found it humorous. She seemed to use it as an excuse for everything he did. He had heard her talking to Karliah earlier about how his hair was slicked back, and told Karliah it was most likely because he was a God and that's how Gods dressed. He reached for another sandwich.

"We're gonna need more food." Will said.

Karliah laughed.

* * *

Loki and Karliah sat on her bed after their day of doing practically nothing. He looked over at her, noticing she was most likely deep in thought at the moment. His eyes were drawn to her wrist, looking again at the ink that was there. He had seen her tattoos before, having one on each wrist. He didn't know how it worked, but he had seen them before.

"How do you get the ink to stay on your wrist?" he asked, and she looked at him suddenly.

"Oh…" she said, flipping both of her wrists up. "It's a tattoo. Needles."

"Did it hurt?"  
"Yeah… This one hurt more than any of them." she said, pointing to her left wrist.  
"What does it say?" he asked, looking at the foreign word.  
"Soulagé." she said, her voice shaping to what sounded like French to him. "It says Relieved in English."  
"Relieved?" he said, thinking of the word's meaning.

She nodded, smiling slightly to herself.

"These are stars from the corners of my favorite book series." she said, pointing the stars on her other wrist.  
"Why would you put such things on your body?" he asked. "They tell others what your life is about."  
"Not really…" she said, looking at him and dropping her hands down to her lap. "Just cuz I have the word 'relieved' on my wrist doesn't mean people know why."  
"Why?"

This question seemed to make her falter. She cleared her throat and looked around the room. He knew it did mean something to her. She picked at her fingernails.

"It just means I'm relieved of things in my past."  
"Like what?" he prodded.  
"Nothing. It's not important."  
"It's important enough to be written on your skin."

Karliah looked at him.

"I know nothing about you." she said. "I know you're a God, and that's about it… How about you tell me something about you."  
"You know something valuable about me, it's your turn." he said, and she seemed to agree that he was right.  
"I… Used to really… struggle, with life. And it shows I'm relieved of that."  
"Stop being coy." he said.

Karliah took in a deep breath.

"I had a hard time growing up, and used to hurt myself because of it." she said, looking up at him again. "I hated myself, and I hated life. I'm relieved of the things I used to do."

Loki had never heard of this. Why would someone hurt themselves because of their life? He would never hurt himself. Life hurt him enough.

"I have never known this." he said.  
"It's not too uncommon." she admitted. "People even do it for attention sometimes."  
"Why?"  
"Cuz this world is sick." she said harshly.

Loki grabbed her wrist, flipping it up to himself. He saw marks on her, scars from what she had said she'd done.

"What did you do?"  
"I cut myself."  
"Cut?"  
"It… Made me feel better."  
"Better? How does physical pain make you happy?"  
"Not happy, just… Control. It made me feel control over the feelings I felt."  
"That is confusing. Your emotions are your own, you should have control over them to begin with."

She closed her eyes, gathering her words to explain it to him in a way he might understand.

"I was struggling in life…" she said. "There are so many reasons why I did it…. It depended on the situation. I would do it just for the sake of doing it sometimes. Like a mile marker in my life…. I was so ashamed of my body sometimes, I would cut and try to make my body as shameful on the outside as it felt on the inside… I would do it when I felt like I couldn't control how life was going and it would give me a sense of control. I would do it when life ran me down so much that I felt numb. I remember when I came home one day from school and I had made it through the day without wishing I was dead and cut to congratulate myself…. I just did it because it was my personal bliss, my own release from the world."

Loki stared into her eyes, feeling sorry for this mortal. He had never heard someone speak of such depression. In Asgard, when spirits were dim, people would simply gather friends, or take it out on others, or something. Anything but destroy their own bodies. He didn't quite understand why one would want it, but he could see it had made sense to her at the time she had done it.

"What made you stop?"  
"My Mom found some cuts, and flipped out." she said, her voice sounding less sad now. "She told me I had to get help. I separated myself from her and paid attention to her horses. It was always a chore to help around the barn and stuff and I just focused on it all the time. It was hard to stop. It was like an addiction…. But I liked the horses. Mom noticed. I asked her for one of my own and she told me she wouldn't give me a horse to love and take care of it I couldn't take care of myself. I wanted the horse, so I focused on getting better."  
"Does the heart next to the word mean you love yourself now?" Loki asked.  
"No." she laughed, looking at her wrist again. "The heart is a fan heart that Demi Lovato signs in her name…. A singer I like."  
"That is unusual."  
"Shows my support for her in her own recovery."  
"Recovery?"  
"She had a similar story, with hurting herself."  
"I know not of who you speak."  
"I figured." she said, looking up at him.  
"Do you still have the horse?"  
"Yep. Scout. The horse that was loose in the field."  
"He doesn't seem very well behaved. Why do you love him so? He is an animal, not another person worthy of affection."

Karliah laughed at this, and he noticed something light up inside her. He had made her angry.

"That horse has taken more care of me than I have of him… He was a rescue horse when I got him, although, I would say he rescued me at the time… He is very well-behaved. He gets confused sometimes…. I love him because he is my friend, my companion, and he needs me, just like I need him." she said, her face flushing slightly.  
"I did not mean to offend you." Loki said.

She took a deep breath.

"I know. You probably only use horses for means of travel where you come from, huh?"  
"I have never known differently."  
"You're missing out… Horses are fine companions."

She was smiling now, clearly thinking of her friendship with the animal.

"You have known pain…" he said, touching her cheek. "I am sorry for this."  
"Who hasn't?" she said, leaning into him. Their lips touched and Loki felt a flutter inside his chest. Their kiss lingered for a moment, then she pulled away from him quickly. "I'm sorry…. I'm really sorry."

Loki shook his head, trying to protest to her stopping, but couldn't find words. She put her head in her hands, and he knew she felt conflicted. He didn't wish this, but related to it.

"I am not offended…" he said, hoping to relieve her of her inner-battle. _Relief…_ He thought about her story she'd shared with him. "You are beautiful…"

She looked up at him. He touched her face again.

"Don't think you are not… You are a beautiful mortal…. Woman. Sorry." he said and they smiled. "I do not like thinking you are weak…"  
"I'm not weak." she said firmly. "I was… But I'm not now…"

Loki did not know if this was completely true, but did not argue further. Maybe he was the weak one to think all he needed in his life was himself and his power….

"Why am I the only one that can call you?" she asked, pulling him from his own mind.  
"You aren't."  
"Yes I am…. Ashley and Will both tried it and it didn't work."

He frowned, knowing this was not how it worked.

"I don't know." he said truthfully.  
"Is it cuz we've slept together?"  
"I do not believe that is a contributing factor."  
"Oh…" she said, laying back on the pillows.

He sat himself up and leaned in to kiss her. She didn't push him away, and he took this as permission to proceed, putting his hands on her hips. She put her hands on his face, her tongue caressing his. He pulled her closer to himself, feeling a tingle throughout his body. She kissed his neck, making Loki smirk as she licked him. He layed down beside her as she climbed on top of him. She made her lips travel down his neck, to his collarbone. She stopped to lick him, then kept moving down. She stopped at his navel, licking him just underneath it. It tickled him, making him shiver slightly. She worked her hands at his clothes as he tried to keep himself thinking clearly. He was hardened already, but knew he had to be easy with his desires. He looked down at her as she grabbed his cock, licking it from the base to the head. His mouth hung open, feeling himself quiver in her hand. He let himself relax as she put her mouth around him. She felt him grab her hand as she put more of his length in her mouth. He was being teased again, her pace slow and taunting. She looked up at him when he softly grabbed a fist full of her hair. She smiled, knowing he was struggling to withstand the teasing. She kissed his hip bone, working her way back up to his neck. She looked at him as she pulled her own pants down. She threw them to the side of the bed, straddling his hips. She pushed herself down on him, his cock reaching deeply into her. Loki moaned at this, feeling her walls close around him. She sat for a moment, seeming to be adjusting to the feeling. She looked comforted by him running his hands up to her back. She bent down over him, moving her hips up, then back down. This appeared to be her 'ok' to keep going, because she started a steady pace then. He moaned at her, approving of the way her body moved on him. He let his hands move freely on her back, one ending up holding the back of her head. She bit his neck, making him groan. She sat up straight, causing him to question why she still had her shirt on. He lifted it off her body, her breasts falling free. He put his hands on them, feeling the shape of them. He so badly wanted one to be in his mouth, to suckle on one, just for a moment's time.

He felt her clenching, hitting her peak of pleasure, and he took the opportunity to roll her onto her back.

"Loki…" she moaned, her voice reflecting her high. "… again."

He smirked, obliging to her wishes. He thrust himself into her, kissing her chest all the while. He lifted her towards him, letting one of her nipples enter his mouth. She caressed his head as he did this. Her hands now wandered on his back, her fingers running over the muscles that moved every time he pushed his cock deeper inside of her. She dug at him, biting his neck. He loved her whimpering underneath him, knowing he was giving her exactly what she wanted. She wrapped her legs around him as she clenched again, her body giving off another orgasm, just as Loki gave one off aswell. Once he was dry of his liquid, he layed down beside her, catching his breath. She ran her fingers through her hair, then looked over at him. He looked back to her as she smiled. He couldn't help but do the same.

"Wow…" she said.  
"Yeah…" he agreed. He offered her his arm, and she moved closer to him.

She lifted her head to kiss him, leaving the most gentle touch on his lips he'd ever felt. He kept his eyes closed as she layed her head down on his chest. Wrapping his arms around her back, he cursed himself for feeling those flutters. Why was he doing this? Cuddling after sex… Why? He had never done this before, feeling sentiment after pleasure from a woman. He had never wanted to… How could she make him feel this?

He couldn't help but wonder if the Gods would be angry knowing he had found things to keep him satisfied down here. He smiled, knowing this was his punishment, living on Earth.

_If this is punishment…_ he thought. _… I just might not want to go home._


	8. Visit to the Field

**Alright guys, so I know that I promised more today. I'm sorry it is at 3 in the morning. -_- The day has been long, but I guess not long enough to let me write more for you. It's a long chapter though, so hopefully it makes up for it.**

**Ok, I did just include some horse-riding stuff in here... Idk why. I think I missed my horse a little too much today, so there is some of that, hope you enjoy it regardless. Also, I will do my ABSOLUTE BEST to make sure I update tomorrow, at least a chapter or two. Thanks guys! Don't forget to R&R! PM me too if you have anything you wish to say to me. (: Enjoy.**

* * *

Loki slowly ran his hands through Karliah's hair as she slept. The sun had risen hours ago, but Loki hadn't found it in himself to pry himself away from her. They had had more encounters after the first one in the previous night. He couldn't sleep much. He had been feeling a longing, a wish to see Karliah, to be around her, to just know she was there. Every time he'd fall asleep, he wouldn't stay there for more than five minutes. His mind was too awake, too hyped up with his thoughts. An emotional high, he would say, was what kept him from rest. He had battled himself several times to convince his mind to not wake her up. He wanted her to rest, but wanted to speak with her. He longed to hear more of her stories, more of who she was. _Maybe this is magic_, he thought._ Maybe if she can call me as her God, she has control over what I can and cannot feel… _He gave it more thought, then decided that this was an unreasonable thought. She was a mortal, she wasn't capable of any magic.

He felt her take in a deep breath, then she shifted her head on his chest. She tiredly ran her hand over his stomach, and he watched her. He hesitated, but placed his hand on hers. He wondered what she would think if she ever found out what he was, what was in his blood. _I wonder if she would be afraid._ He didn't want her to fear him. He felt something in his stomach turn, making him feel saddened. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to try and sleep.

* * *

Loki woke up to Karliah stirring beside him. She leaped out of bed quickly, causing him to wake up. He watched her searching through her clothes franticly.

"What is wrong?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his face.  
"I overslept." she replied, putting on a blue shirt.  
"For what?"  
"Work."  
"Work?"  
"Yes."  
"What work?"  
"My job… It's where us mortals make money."  
"Money?"  
"Oh… Right… You've probably never worked a day in your life, have you, my God?" she smiled, looking at him playfully.

Her words made his body shiver. _Her God?_ he thought. _I'm __**her**__ God?_ He smiled back to her.

"I cannot say that I have." he replied.  
"It's what I do to make money, that keeps a roof over my head." she said, putting on a black pair of pants. "I pay rent here."  
"Rent?"  
"Nevermind." she said, grabbing a brush off her dresser and running it through her messy hair.  
"Where is your work?" he asked.

She laughed, pulling her hair into a bun.

"McDonald's."  
"The place we eat our food?"  
"Yeah." she smiled.  
"Why do you work there?"  
"It's where I got hired."  
"You do not have to work."  
"Yes I do." she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Bills don't wait for me to get off my ass."

He watched her slip on her shoes, then tuck in her shirt. She grabbed her purse, then looked to him.

"I don't know if I should kiss you goodbye or not." she said, looking irritated that he was not dressed. He knew she was confused about the two of them, feeling awkward from his own lack of knowledge about the degree of their friendship. "So… I'll just see you later."  
"I am not going?" he asked.  
"I'm not sure my boss would appreciate it…"  
"I can sit and wait." he said, getting out of bed.  
"Ok, but you can't actually go behind the counter." she told him.  
"As you command." he replied, getting dressed quickly.

* * *

Loki sat, watching Karliah at work. When she came in, people had rained questions on her, wondering where they should go. She had told them to go to certain spots in the store, and had acted like a supervisor. He watched her do her job, noticing how fast she walked around, handing out food to people, even smiling to customers that were rude to her. She would laugh with the other workers when they were not busy with customers. He knew she had power here. The people in red shirts listened to her, and people in blue shirts respected her. Something sparked inside himself, wondering what she had done to make them do this. After a few hours, she came out to the table he was at with some food.

"You hungry?" she asked, setting it down and sitting across from him.  
"Yes." he said, grabbing some of the meal.  
"I see you watching me." she said, drinking out of a cup she'd brought out with her.  
"You have power." he said.  
"Yeah…"  
"How did you get this?"  
"It's called a promotion."  
"Promotion?"  
"I'm a manager, they have to listen to me."  
"This is power."  
"You say tomato…" she said, making him look at her with a questioning look. She laughed, waving her hand. "Look…. I don't know what the status is on our relationship… But let's just try not to look at me when I'm working… It's distracting…"  
"You wish me to not lay eyes on something that is mine?"

This seemed to make her speechless.

"Yours?" was all she could say.

Loki didn't know whether she was offended or not, but assumed she was no longer in the mood to talk, because she got up and went back behind the counter. He had tried to remember her wishes, but couldn't help himself. She was such a wonder to him, her smile, her voice that he could faintly hear from across the store, everything. He was drawn to her. He felt slightly better about her anger when she made eye contact with him and gave him a small smile. There were even moments when she would stare at him, then yank herself away and pay attention to her job.

* * *

When Karliah was done working, she slowly walked over to the computer, punched out, and slowly walked over to where Loki was at. She smiled, seeing he'd fallen asleep in the booth. She tapped him lightly and he opened his eyes, looking around.

"Come on, let's go home."  
"Home?"  
"Yeah."  
"Right…" he said, rubbing his face.

They went out to her car and she put the keys in the ignition.

"I hurt." she said.  
"What?" he replied, feeling himself ache on the inside.  
"My feet hurt."  
"Oh…" he replied, relaxing at her elaboration.  
"What did you think I meant?"  
"That I had hurt you again."  
"Oh, I'm sorry, no. That's not what I meant." she said, making the car move out of it's parking spot.  
"I am glad."  
"Me too…." she said. "I have to go out to my parent's house today."  
"To your horse?" he asked.  
"Yes."  
"Can I go?"  
"Yes." she said, smiling. "You don't have to go… I wanna go out on a ride."

Loki thought about this, wondering if he would know how to ride horses on Earth. He shrugged his shoulders, not caring long enough to convince himself of anything.

"I can ride." he told her.  
"You wanna go on a trail ride?"  
"Yes."  
"Um… Ok. We can do that."  
"Agreed." he said, looking out the window. He heard her turn up the music in the car, and listened to the words. He frowned the more he heard. Even more so when she started singing along. "This music is most inappropriate…"  
"This is Usher… It's a good song." she said, glancing at him slightly.

The song was talking about screaming the words "Ooh baby", making Loki look at her.

"How does he sing of this?"  
"It's a pretty common topic to sing about."  
"I have never heard music like this." he said.  
"'I wanna take off all your clothes and put somethin on ya.'" she sang to him.

Loki scowled. She laughed at his frustration.

* * *

"Mom?" Karliah called out. She walked around in the different rooms, searching for her mother. "Mom?"

She looked at Loki.

"What is wrong?" he asked, sensing something bothering her.  
"My parents aren't here." she said, going back outside. "So, how well do you ride?"  
"I do not know." he admitted, thinking about it. He had been able to ride, but the horses were always trained before they were brought to the castle's stables.  
"We'll see how you do then." she laughed.

Instead of going to the barn, he followed her to a different building. It was significantly smaller, with only one door. When they went in, he saw saddles and other things to ride horses with. He couldn't honestly say what anything was called, he just knew how to make a horse carry him somewhere.

"I'm guessing you have more of an English riding technique." she said, fiddling with a piece of equipment. "Which is gonna have to be broken, cuz I don't know anything about riding English."  
"Ok." he said, not knowing what she was talking about.  
"Let's go pick a horse." she said, going back out to the pasture.

Loki watched her go out to her horse, and come back to tie it up. Once tied, the horse tried moving.

"Stand, Scout." Karliah said, and the horse stopped.

Loki was impressed.

"The beast follows your commands…" he said.  
"He better." she said, then she let out a laugh. "Yeah, he's completely broke. Or, trained, you probably understand that better."

He watched her cautiously approach the horse, letting it smell her.

"This is Scout." she said, smiling at the horse. She looked over at Loki. "He is blind on this side."  
"Blind?"  
"He poked a hole in his eye, he can't see out of it."  
"Why do you keep him?"  
"He's my companion, remember?"

Loki looked at her, biting his tongue before spitting out what he was thinking. Why would she keep an animal that is of no use to her? This is pointless, he is not in good condition._ It's that feeling,_ he thought. _She truly loves this horse._

He reached his hand out and touched the horse. He slowly ran his hand down it's neck, looking at the horse's eye.

"How do you ride him in such a state?" he finally said.  
"He trusts me."  
"Trust?"  
"It's what friends do." she said, smiling. She laughed for a second, seeming to have remembered that sentence from somewhere. He watched her laugh at herself. "I'm sorry… Anyways, yes. He trusts me. I don't take him into danger, he puts his safety in my hands, and he trusts me."  
"An animal feels trust?" Loki said, part of him meaning it to be a rhetorical question.  
"Yes." she said. "Horses are like big dogs. They know who their owner is, they know who loves them. They know."  
"I have never had a horse do this for me."  
"It's cuz you haven't cared enough." she said, putting a blanket on Scout's back. "It's some work to get them to the point of trusting you like that, but it's totally worth it."

He watched her lift a saddle onto Scout's back, then tightened the cinch under his belly. Afterwards, she pat Scout's neck, kissing his face. Loki smiled at this.

"You are…." he said, searching for the right words.  
"Strange?" she asked, realizing he had seen her.  
"…. Refreshing."

She laughed, giving him a funny look.

"That's new." she said, putting a bridle on Scout's face. Scout seemed to resist slightly, not wanting the metal in his mouth. He opened his mouth after Karliah told him to, and she fastened the straps on him.  
"What is that?" he asked after she picked up a little red hook.  
"Hoof pick?" she said, holding it up to Scout's good eye.  
"You ferry your own horse?"  
"Hey, a horse term you actually know!" Karliah said, running her hand down Scout's leg. She picked it up and scraped his hoof out. "Yes, I clean it, but a farrier actually comes out and clips them. He comes tomorrow."  
"That is ridiculous, why does he not come and tend to you when he is needed?"  
"I only need him like, every four or six weeks."

Loki shook his head, giving up the thought.

"Ok… I want you to get up."  
"I'm sorry?"  
"Get up on Scout."

Loki looked at the horse, then back to Karliah. She smiled.

"Trust me."

Loki felt something inside of him lurch, wondering if he did, in fact, trust her. He didn't know if he had the ability to trust people. He slowly approached the horse, then put his foot in the stirrup. He hoisted himself up, then sat in the saddle. She smiled at him.

"You look good on him."  
"Thank you…" he said, not sure what else to say to such a comment.  
"Ok, Scout wears a bit, which I imagine is what you are used to."  
"What?"  
"Nevermind, ignore my ranting…" she said, handing him the reins. "I want you to walk him around, see if you can handle him."

Loki took the reins, doing what she told him to do. He nudged the horse's side and Scout began to walk.

"Make him trot back." Karliah said when Loki turned to come back. Loki did so, having little trouble maintaining his balance. "Get him to canter."

Loki didn't know what it meant, but he kicked the horse up to run. The saddle was different from what he was used to, though he stayed on just fine.

"Good." Karliah smiled as Loki made the horse slow down and stop in front of her. "He listens to you."  
"Does he trust me too?"  
"Probably not." she laughed.  
"Why?"  
"It takes time… Go ahead and get down."

Loki did and Karliah got on Scout in his place.

"I'll be back." she said, kicking Scout up into a trot. She rode him around the yard, eventually making him canter around. Loki watched her as she communicated with her animal. She was completely in her element, smiling as she spoke with Scout. He couldn't tell what she was saying, but knew she was pleased with the horse's performance. When she came back, she got down. "Ok, now that that is out of my system, let's get a horse saddled for you."

Loki waited until she came back with another horse. This one was gray. He looked at Scout, trying to pick a color he would say to describe him to someone else. He looked to Karliah as she approached him.

"This is Shadow." she said, tieing him to a post.  
"Shadow…" he repeated, looking at the beast.  
"He's young, so he's a little faster."  
"Scout is not young?"  
"No, he's nineteen."  
"That is young."  
"To you. He's old."  
"I see…" Loki said, accepting what she was saying. He looked at Scout again. "What is his color?"  
"Red Roan Blanket Appaloosa."  
"That… Is not a color."

Karliah laughed as she put a blanket on Shadow.

"Shadow is a dapple gray." she said.

Loki looked at her.

"That is not a color either."  
"It's a horse color."

He pet Shadow, watching the horse look around.

"Like him?" she asked.  
"I suppose."

She smiled, tightening the saddle that was now on Shadow's back. She grabbed his bridle and put it on, Shadow also resisting the metal going in his mouth. He was more of a struggle, but she managed to get him to open his mouth.

"Ok." she said, finishing her job. "Try him out."

Loki got on Shadow, and took the reins from Karliah. As he rode the horse around, he thought about how he could possibly trust a horse. He was in control of it, it did what he told it to. How could he trust something so dependant? He shook this feeling away and focused on letting the horse have some control. The horse maintained the speed Loki had told it to.

"Good beast." he said aloud to it. He saw the horse's ear turn as his voice sounded. "Good."

Loki stopped the horse in front of Karliah like he had with Scout and she nodded.

"Yep. Let's go." she said, getting on Scout.

* * *

Loki and Karliah had been out on a trail that she had on her property for almost a half an hour now. They hadn't spoken much, they had just been taking in the scenery. He would hear her sigh here and there, and when he would turn to look at her, she would be smiling up at a certain spot of trees, or up at the sky that looked so blue that day. Not once had he looked at her and been able to not think of how beautiful she looked. The sun in her hair, a smile on her face as she enjoyed her horse's company. She would reach down and pat his neck from time to time, telling him he was good. Loki reached down, with that thought, and pat Shadow. Karliah smiled.

"Where did you learn how to ride?" he asked.  
"I've been riding since I was little. My Mom's always had them."  
"She taught you?"  
"Yeah… She's a good rider."  
"Do we have a destination?" he asked, looking around. Karliah smiled again, seeming to not want to answer him. "Do we?"  
"It's a surprise."  
"I don't like those."  
"Too bad."

She nudged Scout and he started trotting. Loki followed suit. She kicked him up again and Loki did the same. He felt a wave of emotion spread over him as he took in how good it felt to go so fast. He felt almost free, like no one could stop him from running around. He smiled, not able to shake the emotion. He didn't try to again, and instead, let it take over him. Karliah led him to the end of the trail, and they stopped at a field. Loki's smile faded as he noticed that this way the field he had arrived in. He looked up at the sky, wondering if Heimdall, the bifrost's gatekeeper, could see him.

"You miss it don't you?" Karliah asked, and he did not look at her. He kept his eyes on the sky.  
"Yes." he admitted, wishing for nothing but to see his mother and brother at that moment.  
"C'mon." she said, getting down off her horse. Loki did the same, suddenly not wanting to speak with her. They tied their horses up to a post that seemed to have been placed there by Karliah. She held her hand out to him, and he stared at it. "You're hurting…"  
"I am not." he said, lying to her.  
"You can't lie to me." she said. "Loki, I know hurt."  
"Not like mine."  
"Come with me." He took her hand, walking out to the middle of the field with her. He let go of her hand when she sat down in the grass. She proceeded to lay down and he stared at her. "Come down here."

Loki didn't know why, but he did as she asked. The smell of grass filled his nose as he layed his head beside hers, staring up at the sky. They were silent for a moment, though she must have known that he didn't like it.

"Tell me what's up there…" she said.  
"Asgard." he said.  
"What's it look like?"  
"It's…. Beautiful." he told her, remembering what it looks like when you arrive at the bifrost. "When you get there, you're on a big, rainbow bridge."  
"A rainbow bridge?" she repeated, a light laugh in her voice. "Is it pretty?"  
"Very…" he said. "And you can see the castle from any part of Asgard you are in."  
"There's a castle?" she asked.  
"Yes… That's my home."  
"You live in a castle?!" she said, looking at him.  
"Yes."  
"Does everyone?"  
"Just the royal family."  
"You're a King?!"  
"No." Loki said, thinking of how Thor would surely be the new King soon. He felt his stomach turn again as he realized he would be missing it. "I am a prince, I guess."  
"You didn't tell me that!" she said, looking back up at the sky.  
"I am many things…" he said, thinking again on how she might react if he showed her his true form.  
"Tell me more about it."  
"It's gold. Everywhere. And very big." he said. "It is the home of the Gods."  
"There's more?"  
"Oh yes."  
"Are your parents Gods?"  
"Yes." he said, feeling tears come to his eyes as he thought of his mother. "They are."  
"You really miss them…" she said, and he realized she was looking at him again.  
"I…" he said, not wanting to admit his feelings. He wasn't weak. Sentiment wasn't what he would allow himself to feel… But did he really have any control? Loki could only suppress so many feelings before he would go insane. "I wish to see them…"  
"Tell me about them." she said.  
"No."  
"Why not? You've met my parents."  
"I do not wish to."  
"Loki…"  
"No…"  
"I want to know." she said firmly.

He was moved by her tone, and he gave in.

"Who do you wish to know about?"  
"How may family members do you live with?"  
"My mother and father, and brother."  
"You have a brother?"  
"Yes."  
"What's his name?"  
"Thor."  
"Is he a God?"  
"Yes."  
"Of what?"  
"Thunder."  
"So every time it's a storm out, it's him having fun?"  
"No. He can summon it, he doesn't turn it on and off in Midgard."  
"I see." she said. "What's your dad's name?"  
"… That is a difficult question." Loki admitted, not sure of how to answer her.  
"How?" she asked, but she seemed to know right away that it was a difficult situation. "You have two?"  
"No… I was… Adopted, I guess."  
"Oh… Well who do you call Dad?"  
"No body."  
"Who raised you?"  
"Odin."  
"Why?"  
"I was abandoned as a child, he took me from my home."  
"What about your Mom?"

Loki took a deep breath as to keep his composure.

"Her name is Frigga."  
"What is she a goddess of?"  
"Marriage, love, childbirth, wisdom."  
"She kinda dominates, doesn't she?"  
"She is a wonderful person."

Karliah could see how much it effected him to be down here.

"I'm sorry Loki…" she said. "Couldn't you just ask to come home?"  
"No." he said, smiling. "They would laugh and tell me to stay here."  
"That's rude. It's your home."  
"They don't care. I tried destroying everything, they don't want me there, roaming where I can kill anyone I wish."  
"Kill?" she said. "You've… Killed someone before?"  
"I have killed many."  
"Oh…" she said, really taking in that piece of information. "…Why?"  
"Because I wanted to rule the world."  
"Oh… You're one of those villain guys that are in movies?"  
"Um… sure…" he said.  
"So… You just…" she paused. "It was you…"

Loki looked at her as she sat up.

"It was you who was terrorizing the entire world last year…" she said, now on her feet.  
"Karliah-"  
"It was you?!" she said, raising her voice. "Oh my God… I can't believe this… I… I need to go home… I need to go home."  
"Wait." he said, getting up quickly as she started walking towards the horses. "Please, let me just explain myself."  
"Why?" she said, walking faster as she heard him behind her. "Gonna kill me if I don't?"  
"Stop." he said, grabbing her wrist and turning her around. She looked scared, and he did everything he could to change his demeanor to something softer. "I am not what you think I am."  
"Funny, you've said that before. Wanna know what's different? I know exactly what you are."  
"You don't know anything about what I am."  
"You're a murderer." she said, yanking her wrist away.

Her tone made his heart ache, and he wasn't sure why. He wanted to make her see who he was, that he wasn't going to hurt her. He had no idea how though, and for that reason, he didn't say anything more. She walked away and got on her horse, making him walk away. Loki followed closer behind on Shadow, not trying to keep up with her. He wasn't sure what would happen next, or where he would go if she decided his stay at her house was no longer welcome.

Once back at the house, Karliah silently undressed the horses, and put them back. Loki followed her back to the car when she was done and they drove home silently.


	9. New Beginnings

**Hey everyone! I am officially over 100 views! Whoo! So here is a new one, it's kind of a filler, but I got some creative flow towards the end, so it's not too bad. I hope. XD Anyways, don't forget to R&R and PM me if you wanna! Thanks and enjoy!**

* * *

Karliah slammed her door as they got out of the car. Loki could feel she was angry. He looked at her just long enough to see her stop and put her hands on her hips. He stopped, watching her shake her head.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" she said, looking at him. "Did you know any of those people?! Did you know any of what you'd destroyed?!"

Loki could see tears in her eyes, though he did not understand why. She had not known the people that had fallen to his destruction, not all of them. Perhaps she did have a family member he'd killed, he was not sure, but she couldn't have known every single mortal that died.

"Did you lose someone?" he asked, and she glared at him.  
"No. I did not."  
"I do not understand why…. You are angry."  
"You killed innocent people that have never wronged you! Those people had wives, husbands, kids, people that loved them and now they have to live without them, because they will NEVER get them back." Karliah said, walking inside the house now.

Loki had never thought about the people who were effected by his actions. Then again, that's what caused him to be in this situation in the first place. He was banished to Earth, and he saw how it hurt his mother and brother to say goodbye to him the day that he left.

He went inside the house, seeing Will trying to calm Karliah down as she stormed through the house.

"What happened?" he asked Loki, but Loki did not say anything.  
"Go ahead, tell them what happened." Karliah said, going to her room.  
"What'd you do?" Will asked.  
"I told her who I was." Loki said.  
"What?"  
"I do not know why she is upset."  
"Ok." Will said, going to Karliah's bedroom. Ashley followed suit.

Loki could hear Karliah's muffled voice yelling as she told them what she now knew about him. He didn't know how to plead his case, he didn't know what to say to make her ok again. Then, it hit him. Why did he care about whether or not she accepted him? Why did it matter to him? He was not a subject to her, he was above her, she didn't have to like him. But she made him feel so… Different. He'd only been with her for three days now, and he felt the difference in himself. He shook his head at this, not thinking he needed change. It was happening though, and he couldn't stop it. He wanted her to like him, and to accept him, and that was enough to make him cry. Crying… He hadn't done it since he left Asgard, when he and his mother were speaking. He felt the hot tears crawl down his face, not knowing what to do, to stop, or let it go. He wiped it away when the bedroom door opened. Will came out of it, looking like he had just been yelled at himself.

"Ok…" he sighed, putting his hand on his head. "I… I don't know if you're really a monster, but she seems to think so. So… I'd say you're sleeping on the couch tonight…"

Loki nodded, not thinking about anything but holding in his tears. Was he truly sorry for what he did? Was he really wanting someone to change who he was? He watched Will pace around as they listened to Ashley take a turn talking with Karliah.

"Why is she so upset? You are not." Loki said.  
"She… Has issues."  
"What do you mean?"  
"She values life a lot." Will said, seeming to be choosing his words carefully.  
"I did not hurt her though."  
"It doesn't matter… She'll calm down and she'll forgive you. It's how she gets."  
"I am sorry if I have overstayed my welcome here."  
"I'm not kicking you out."  
"Thank you." Loki said, and the bedroom door opened.

Ashley and Karliah came out of the bedroom. She had her arms folded as Ashley spoke.

"We are going to go out and have some girl time." Ashley told Will. Will nodded, sitting down on the couch. Loki looked at Karliah, who looked flustered. She was not alright, and he knew it. "We'll be back soon."

* * *

Loki sat alone in the bedroom he had been sharing with Karliah. He sat in her chair, wondering what he would say when she was ready to speak to him again. He heard a door open and shut, then Ashley's voice. A few moments later, he saw the door open, and Karliah entered the room. She silently closed the door behind her, folding her arms afterwards. Loki looked at her, knowing she was searching for words.

"When I was two years old, my father left me and my Mom alone. I've never met him, I don't remember anything about him." she said, looking down at her feet. "I… I love my Dad. He's been there for me since I was nine years old, but I can still remember the years he wasn't there, when I would wonder what was so wrong about me that I didn't deserve a daddy to tuck me in at night. A Dad to pick me up and hug me when I would fall and hurt myself outside, or… For anything."

Loki could tell this was difficult for her. He could hear the strain in her voice.

"My Dad is an amazing man, although he didn't make me. I don't know your father, Loki, and I don't know the man who raised you either… But Odin did raise you, out of his own kindness, because you would've died if he hadn't. He saved you, correct? You were abandoned?"

Loki nodded.

"He saved you. He may have lied about it, but without him you would not be sitting here." she said, as if she knew him through and through. "The people you've killed…. They aren't coming back. I can't stay angry because someone is dead, I learned that lesson a long time ago."  
"How?" Loki asked.  
"Death of family members." she said.  
"How did they die? Was it me?"  
"No. People die. We're not immortal like you Gods." she said harshly.  
"I am sorry…" he said.  
"I do not lie." she said. "I do not accompany liars. You… are so… enticing."

She sat down on the bed, keeping her arms folded.

"I do NOT like that you're a murderer… But I have not seen an ounce of violence in you since you've been here…" she said, searching his eyes for emotion.  
"I have… changed since then." he admitted. "I am not that person anymore…"  
"Then what are you?" she asked.  
"I am Loki. I am a God, I am a liar, but I do not lie to you when I say I am not here to harm you. I do not wish you to be hurt, and I do not wish you to be upset any longer."  
"Anything else?"

Loki knew this was his chance to say something about his blood, about his true form. He stood, taking a deep breath.

"I am not human."  
"I know."  
"I am a… monster."  
"Just say whatever you want to say, Loki." she said, and it made him seize the emotion within him to change his skin. Blue spread across his body, chilling him slightly. He watched as she stood, looking into his now crimson eyes. She reached out to his face, looking at the lines now etched there. She touched him, and she took in a sharp breath, realizing how cold his skin was now. "What is this?"  
"I am a Frost Giant. They are from Jotunheim, one of the nine realms." he said, knowing she wouldn't know what it meant. "Odin took me from these people, from my home."  
"You're… cold."  
"Jotunheim is a frosted waste-land."  
"I'd consider myself lucky to be rid of it." she said. Loki let her undress his chest, putting her hands on his chest when she was done. There were more etchings there for her to inspect. "Do these hurt?"  
"No." he said, loving the warmth of her delicate fingers on his skin.

She took her hands away, looking back up to his eyes.

"What does this mean for us?"  
"Us?"  
"Why are you showing me this?"  
"You asked what I was."  
"Does it mean anything other than that?"  
"No…." Loki said, wondering what she meant. "It will not harm you."

She nodded.

"You hate who you are don't you?"  
"I do not like it." he said. "But that's not much different from yourself, is it?"

She seemed taken aback at this.

"I don't…." she began, but stopped, not wishing to start another argument.  
"We both have much hate for ourselves."  
"Then how is it I feel so much desire for you?"  
"Desire is not love."  
"Love…" she said, seeming to loathe the word. "Are you saying you love me?"

He laughed, not knowing how to say anything without her being offended.

"I… Do not… Necessarily know if I know how to do so."  
"Yes you do." she said. "You love your mother, you love your brother… I know you love your father, as much as you may deny that. You do… Loving a woman is not much different."  
"I do not wish to discuss this." he said, his skin changing back to it's normal form.

She watched as he put his clothes back on.

"Loki, you have a lot inside yourself that you need to discuss, and to get out of your system." she told him.  
"No."  
"No?" she said.  
"I do not have to tell you anything." he said. He caught himself, not wanting her to become angry. "I mean, I do not need to talk to anyone."  
"Ok." she said, giving up on the topic.

He knew she was frustrated with the whole situation. He rubbed his face, wishing that whatever was inside of him that made him shut people out would just turn off. If he opened up to her and let himself change a little bit, he could go home… But it just wouldn't happen. He didn't want someone to take pity on him, he was not some weak animal that needed healing. He was a God, someone to be worshipped and bowed to. Where did sentiment ever get him?

"What do you wish to know?" he said, going against his own wishes of keeping his personal life away from her knowledge.  
"What bothers you? Why do you push me away when I ask about you?"  
"I do not know." he said, truthfully. He again wished for his defenses to diminish. "I just… Do it."  
"I used to do that to everyone."  
"Why?"  
"Because I hated myself. And that's exactly why you do it."  
"I do not care if people hate me." he said. "It does not effect me."  
"Oh really? Is that why you are here and not in Asgard?"

Loki felt angered by this, hearing her attitude come out in the tone of her voice.

"Do not use a tone with me."  
"I will use whatever tone I want with you, because that is the only thing that gets you to react." she told him, not backing down.  
"Fine." he said.  
"Anger is an emotion." she said.  
"Yes?"  
"So why is that the only one you allow yourself to feel?"  
"I feel emotion, I just pretend I do not."  
"Why? Cuz it makes you weak?"  
"Yes…" he said. "It gives others things to use against me."  
"No it doesn't."  
"Oh really?" he said, turning on her now. "I have done this plenty of times, do not tell me it does not. Your word, love, is a fine example. My brother was banished to Midgard before me, and he fell in love with a mortal girl. I asked him what turned him so soft when he came back and it was that girl. He refused to fight me until I threatened to pay her a visit after I killed him. It's a weakened mind set, it's a child's game."  
"Have you ever loved a woman?"  
"What?"  
"Have you?"  
"No." he laughed.  
"Then how do you know what it is?"  
"And you do?" he asked. "Have you ever loved a man?"

She seemed to falter, shifting her weight as she looked away from him.

"I wouldn't say it was love." she told him. "It was more of a dictatorship."  
"What?"  
"It was an unhealthy relationship and no, I did not love him."  
"Then how can you speak of love if you've never felt it either?"  
"Because I allow myself to feel it for others. You do not."  
"That does not mean that you know what it is."  
"Then I guess neither of us do." she said. "But I do know you have to love yourself if you wanna love someone else."  
"I love my family-"  
"Is that why you left them to rule Earth?"

Loki stared at her, wishing he could have his powers back. He would show her what happened, he would place the image in her mind of what had happened. He was so furious, he didn't know what to say anymore. He just wanted her to understand how he felt, because he could not explain it himself.

"I left because they were no longer my family."  
"So you guys had a reunion when you got back?"  
"Hardly."  
"Then how do you see them as family now?"  
"I told you, I have changed."  
"Then why don't you let your emotions show, why do you still see them as weakness?"  
"I have not changed completely, things take time."  
"So work on it or it will never change. It's not going to do it on it's own."  
"You are telling me to do something that I know not how to do."  
"That's why I'm trying to get you to talk to me Loki!" she said, throwing her arms out in the air in disparity. "I can't make you feel something you don't want to!"

Loki did not know what to say. He shook his head at her.

"How did you start feeling things?"  
"What?"  
"How did you allow yourself the confidence to stop slicing your skin open?" he asked.  
"That is different-"  
"No it's not. You allowed yourself the freedom to feel happiness. How?"  
"I wanted something. So I got it."  
"I want to go home."  
"I know you do."  
"Then how do I get it?"  
"I don't know Loki, I didn't banish you."  
"I was told that if I was worthy enough, I could have my punishment revoked."

She looked around, thinking about what he could do.

"Help an old lady across the road, I don't know." she said. "Maybe you should try accepting who you are, and living with it. I don't know."  
"Help me." he said, wishing he hadn't as soon as it left his mouth.

She stepped closer to him. He stared into her blue eyes, seeing so much emotion in them. He wondered if all she saw in his was emptiness. She slowly leaned in and kissed him. He felt his anger leave his body, his frustration calming. Her lips lingered on his for a few moments, then she pulled away gently. He opened his eyes, blue meeting emerald once more.

"What do you feel?" she asked. "Don't think about it, what do you feel?"  
"Peace."  
"Accept it. Don't make it go away. Peace is what you want, happiness is what you want. Right?" Loki nodded slightly, wishing she would kiss him again. "Allow yourself the luxury of feeling happy."

He pulled her closer, kissing her now. She didn't make him stop. She let his tongue touch hers, and they stood there. Just kissing. Tingles flew through his body, something he'd never really felt when kissing someone. He didn't know why they were there, but he fought every ounce of his soul that told him he was pathetic for doing this.

He gently touched her face as she put her hands on his shoulders. He felt himself growing hard, although that was not his intent. She seemed to know this, because she laughed slightly, breaking the kiss. She rested her forehead against his, and they caught their breath for a moment.

"What do you feel?" she asked.

He laughed.

"A little bit of ecstasy…" he said.

She laughed again, looking up at his smile.

"Not what I meant."  
"I feel… Good."  
"Do you feel weak?"  
"If someone took you away I would." he said, not knowing where it had come from. But he did honestly feel that way.  
"Well if someone took me away, you could feel stronger, because you'd have someone's ass to kick. You could use your powers."

Loki laughed, agreeing with her statement. If it came down to it, would he protect her from harm? Would he be her guardian if someone threatened her? _Yes,_ he thought,_ I think I would._

"I don't know what to do about us." she said. "I don't know what we are together."  
"We are… Friends."  
"Friends don't make out." she said. "Well, sometimes they do…"  
"I feel like this is a conversation from experience."

She smiled.

"What are we?" she asked.

Loki didn't know what to say. He had never courted a woman before. He had never needed to. He wasn't sure if it was a part of him getting in touch with his emotions or not.

"We are mates." he said, stating the obvious.  
"For how long?" she asked.  
"As long as you feel it suits you."

She smiled, kissing him again. It was short this time, and she layed down on the bed afterwards. He watched her sprawl out.

"Come here." she told him.

He did so, and she pulled him to be on top of her. Her hands wandered down his body, rubbing him when her hand found his hardened member. He closed his eyes as she touched him. He enjoyed the pleasure it was giving him, and that was no difficult emotion to embrace. He layed down beside her, facing her so she could still touch him. She took off his armor again, and he took her clothing off in return. For a moment they sat there, holding each other, skin to skin, not doing anything but laying in each other's arms. She kissed his neck after a while, causing him to open her legs with his knee. She put her leg up around his hip as he slowly pushed himself inside of her. She held him close, and he did the same.

They made love slowly, a change from the past times they had done so. Loki actually liked how it made him feel on the inside. He felt his heart flutter at times, and he had to really fight to not cry.

As their bodies grew tired, Loki wanted to stop and just lay there with her. He pushed himself faster, causing himself to erupt within her. He tightened his hold on her for a moment, the endorphins running through his body. He pulled himself out of her, but not letting go of her body. She looked up to him as he caught his breath, and she kissed him. He felt so much compassion as she did so, and he gave it right back.

When they stopped their kiss, they fell asleep slowly, never letting go of each other in the process.

* * *

**Loki's feels are getting intense... Whoo. Anyways, I'm typing up another one now, don't go anywhere! (;**


	10. Contentment

**Ok, this is basically a filler chapter, it tells Loki's progress. Wanted to just give some background info, cuz I was drawing a blank today. -_- Anyways, I am working on the next chapter now, so hope this was enough until that one is posted. Don't forget to R&R! Thanks guys and enjoy!**

* * *

Before Loki knew it, days had passed, and turned into weeks. Weeks had changed to months. He and Karliah constantly worked at his emotions, trying to get them to be an easy thing to accept. It was a struggle, letting someone try to change him. He still had thoughts of not opening himself up. On days like that, Karliah would ask if he wanted to go out to the field, to just think. She'd let him be silent, going with him for moral support, so to speak. They would lay there, staring up at the sky, allowing Loki to clear his mind.

He had grown very fond of her. Karliah's companionship was constant with him. She never failed to be his guide, helping him with everything that he questioned about Earth. She was his teacher and his friend. He had to grow to used to this, because Thor had been the only real friend he'd had this sort of connection with. He had other friends, but not ones he relied upon. That derived from weakness, or so he had believed. Karliah had forced his mind into a different frame of thought.

They lived together, still acting as each other's mates. This part of her was just as addicting as her friendship. This also changed him though, showing him that pleasure could also make him feel something for her. It was intimate, although he never told her so. He knew she felt something aswell, because Ashley and Will could never keep a secret. He didn't know if they considered him as a friend, but he looked to them as companions.

They weren't his only companions. Karliah had given him Shadow, the horse he'd ridden with her the first time they went out on a trail together. He liked having it, because it gave him something more to share with Karliah. It gave him the responsibility of caring for someone more than himself. He couldn't keep it inside himself, he HAD to show he cared for it. And he did.

Loki had learned much from Karliah, but he wasn't the only one learning. Karliah frequently wanted him to tell her about Asgard, and the people that lived there. She often asked what kind of powers he thought she would have if she were to become amongst the Gods. He hadn't ever given her a straight answer, because he hadn't known.

On the topic of powers, though, his were slowly coming back, although it wasn't as strong as it was when he was back in Asgard. He could show her his magic, but only when she asked to see it. She liked most how he could duplicate his image. He always found humor in her reactions to his magic.

He still wanted to return to Asgard, the longing never really leaving him. Occasionally this feeling was stronger than he wished it to be, but Karliah was enough to make him content with where he was at, though he missed his family.

Karliah seemed to notice this more and more, because she would always tell him that they missed him too. He often pondered this, wondering if his mother was watching over him like she had said she would be. He wondered if she was proud of his changes. He thought this of Thor aswell. He wasn't sure if he had actually wanted them to watch him. What if they weren't proud? What if he hadn't made the kind of progress he was supposed to? These thoughts often led to the days where he would just stay silent and block Karliah out.

All in all, Loki was happy. He had worked to get himself to admit it, but he was happy. He had a home, and people there who did love him. He was content with this, and accepted that this was his fate.


	11. Admitted

**Here is another chapter. Not that long, but got some stuff out. Hope you guys enjoy! R&R please!**

* * *

Loki sat, eating with Karliah at the table. Will and Ashley had gone out for the night. Karliah drank out of her glass, looking at Loki as he chewed his food.

"Could you ask to go home?" she asked.  
"What?"  
"It's been a while since you got here… Could you ask to go home, would they let you?"  
"I do not know…" he said truthfully. "Probably not."  
"Could I go with you if you did?"

Loki looked at her now.

"No." he said.  
"Why not?"  
"Mortals cannot live with Gods without just cause."  
"But I have just cause."  
"Oh? And what is that?"  
"I love you." Loki stared at her. She seemed to not want to look at him, worried about his reaction to her words. He reached out his hand and touched hers. She looked down at it.  
"I do not know what to say…" he finally said.  
"You don't have to say anything." she shrugged, eating more of her food.

He sighed.

"Kar, it's complicated for me…" he told her.  
"I know." she said, not looking at him. "But it doesn't stop me from feeling something…"  
"I do not deserve that."  
"Still doesn't stop me."  
"You deserve more."  
"No." she said. "I know what I deserve and what I want and nothing you would ever say would change that… I just thought that you should know…"

Loki had trouble with the silence that followed after their conversation. When Karliah was done with her food, she picked up her plate, and washed it in the sink. She yawned, stretching her arms out.

"I'm gonna go lay down…" she said.  
"Do you want me to come?"  
"You can do whatever you please."

He watched her walk down the hallway, not knowing how to deal with this. She often did this though, making him think about how he felt about certain things. He knew he felt intimacy with her, he had since the night she'd found out about his true form. The way they had made love had sparked something in his heart. It made him feel so emotional.

He got up, not caring to take care of his dishes. He went to the bedroom, opening the door slowly. He saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, head in her hands. He knew she was crying and itt made his heart ache. He sat beside her, putting his arm around her gently.

"I do not wish to harm you." he said softly.  
"You don't." she replied, lifting her head and wiping her tears. "You don't. I just… I don't know."  
"Tell me what you feel."  
"I just don't know what to do about myself."  
"I do not understand."  
"I love you Loki…" she said, touching his face. "My God… I love you. But I know you have more to work on… And this only makes it worse, but every single time you touch me or look at me or say something to me… You don't even have to speak… I can't help myself."

Loki smiled slightly, seeing the confliction on her face, hearing it in her voice. It made him happy to know that someone felt this for him, but made him angry that she was not ok. She was hurting, whether or not she said it was so, and he wanted it to stop.

"What do I do?" he asked.  
"You don't have to do anything."  
"Yes I do… You are mine to take care of."  
"Loki…" she said, laughing a little. "It's ok."  
"Then stop crying."  
"I'm just frustrated."  
"Let us rest." he told her, laying down on the bed. "Come lay with me, it will clear your mind."

She did so, placing her head on his chest. They didn't bother changing their clothes. They layed there, Loki holding her in his arms, feeling the flutter again in his chest as he caught the scent in her hair. He smiled.

"Kar, I do not know how to say what I feel… I do not wish for my poor choice of words to turn into lies if I do not know how I feel."  
"I won't think you are lying… It's just a difficult thing, I understand."  
"Love is difficult?"  
"Yeah…" she laughed. "It is."  
"I have tried to refrain from asking, because I do not wish to bring painful memories to you… But I wish to know about your relationship, the one that makes you not believe in love."

Karliah sighed, rolling to her stomach to face him. She put her chin on his chest, not knowing where to start.

"He was… Mean." she told him. "And controlling. Remember how I said it was more like a dictatorship?"

Loki nodded.

"He would control you?" he asked.  
"We would control each other." she replied. "It was very… bad."  
"Would he hurt you?"  
"Sometimes. I'd do the same though. We were destructive together."  
"Did he know you hurt yourself?"  
"Yeah. It sometimes made him snap and he'd hit me." she said. "As if I didn't already feel like shit about myself, he made sure I really felt like it."  
"That is…" Loki said, getting angry at the thought of this man. "Terrible."  
"We were never nice. Ever. I don't know why we were together as long as we were, but it lasted a few months."  
"Did you like it?"  
"No… I guess part of me accepted that I would never get anything better."  
"May I get more personal?" he asked, not knowing why he wanted permission.  
"Of course."  
"Did he ever… Force you to…" Loki said, trying to word it nicely.

Karliah knew though, and she sort of laughed.

"He never touched me if I didn't want him to." she said. "No. He never got it. I am strong when I wanna be."

"You mean that in a physical way?"

She nodded, looking around the room.

"I'd never hurt you." he told her.  
"Really?" she asked, seeming to tease him.  
"I am strong." he said. "I could hurt you if I wanted to."  
"Maybe…. But I know you wouldn't."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I can tell… You are so gentle with me."  
"Not always." he said, a seductive smirk growing across his face. Karliah laughed, rolling her eyes. She knew the truth in this statement, recalling the previous night when he had bent her over their nightstand and she had him from behind. He knew she was thinking of this, as was he. "Lost in thought are you?"

She closed her eyes, rolling over on her back. He watched her open her legs slightly, her arms laying above her head.

"Take me." she said. "Please me."

He rolled to his side, running his hand down her side. He let it rest on her hip, staring into her eyes.

"Tell me again." he replied.  
"Tell you what?"  
"Tell me you love me."

He needed to hear it again. He needed to hear the words glide off of her tongue. He longed to feel his heart flutter again, like it did every time he thought of her. He would know it was real if he felt it.

"Loki…" she said, putting her hands on his face. "My God… I love you."

There it was. His heart, trying to escape his chest out of excitement. He smiled at the feeling, accepting that this woman, this mortal, would never be swayed on what she felt. She would never change her mind, so long as she felt like this. He leaned his face in so his lips were a inch from hers. As soon as he felt his stomach jump, he took in a sharp breath, trying to make the tingles stop.

"I love you, Karliah." he said, his voice light.

Her eyes, which had shut due to the anticipation he was giving her, opened after he said it. She seemed to be searching his eyes for something. Truth, he figured. He didn't know what she saw in him. He was nothing special, he was no one, yet she loved him anyways. It felt good to say it back to her. It was satisfying to see her smile, to trust that she was feeling the same flutter inside of her own chest. He kissed her lightly.

She fiddled with his pants slowly, and he knew what she wanted. He obliged, taking her shirt off. After their clothes were off, he kissed her passionately, pushing his hardened self inside of her slowly.


	12. Surprises

**Alrighty. Some stuff is getting real now. So deal with it. :P Thanks for all the views guys, it really just makes me about die everytime I get on. Up to 160 now. I hope you enjoy this one! Don't forget to R&R! Thanks everyone!**

* * *

Loki woke up, feeling a chill on his skin. He opened his eyes, seeing Karliah laying on his chest. She was wrapped in his arms, which had turned blue in his sleep. He felt angry at this, wanting his blue form to go away. He couldn't always control it. She stirred, looking up at him as she shivered. She looked into his red eyes, taking in his appearance. She looked down at his etched chest, running her hand over it slowly.

"I hate how cold you get." she said. "It makes me feel like you're dead."  
"I am not." he laughed.  
"I hope not." She kissed his chest, making him feel warm.

He felt his skin growing warmer, and his form changed to it's original state. She leaned up to kiss him. He tightened his arms around her as he felt himself grow hard. She pulled away and he sighed, resting his head against the pillow again.

"I'm sor-" he started, but was cut off by the feeling of her hand wrapping around his cock. He closed his eyes, her hand moving up and down slowly. He grabbed a fist-full of sheets, biting his lip to suppress his moans. "Kar… You… You are going to regret this."

He heard her chuckle before kissing his belly. His body quivered, his cock twitching in her grip. He groaned, not able to keep it away any longer. He felt her tongue tease him, licking at his hip bone. He ran his fingers through her hair, watching her slowly lick her way to the base of his cock. His mouth hung open in anticipation. She put her mouth around him, sucking on the head of it.

"God…" he said, his head falling back again. She sucked him until he begged her to finish the job, the pleasure torturing him everytime she moved her mouth against his length. "Swallow me… Suck me dry."

She put his length in his mouth until she gagged, causing his body to quiver as he spurt his liquid into her mouth. He moaned at her, high with pleasure, as she removed his cock from her mouth.

"Good morning to you too." he said, catching his breath.  
"Feel good, my God?" she asked, sitting up on the bed.  
"Why…." he said, his head clearing from his high. "Why do you call me that?"  
"What?"  
"You call me your God."  
"Well, you are my God… You're a God… You are mine right?" she asked, rubbing his abdomen.

Loki smiled at this. He was by no means a God anymore, sure to never return to Asgard, yet she saw him as the most powerful person she'd ever met. He truly did belong to her. He was her God, she was the only who could call out to him, who had control over him.

"Yes. I am yours."

She smiled back at him, getting out of bed. She made a face, then left the room. Loki scowled, not knowing what was wrong. He got up quickly and followed her. He approached the bathroom, hearing her heaving. His heart's pace quickened as he entered the room. She was sitting in front of the toilet, throwing up. He knealt down beside her, rubbing her back. He ran the cup that was on the sink under the faucet, giving her some water after she was done. She drank it, washing her mouth out.

"Perhaps you shouldn't swallow me anymore if it repulses you." he said, laughing a little.

She smiled, shaking her head.

"It's not you." she told him, her smile fading quickly. "I just… Don't feel good I guess."

Loki thought this to be strange. He'd never seen her sick since he'd been here. She had had what she called headaches, but never to the point of vomiting. This was not her usual self. He didn't like that she was not feeling well. It was his duty to make sure she was safe, he was her protection, and he could do nothing about how she felt. An idea sparked in his mind.

"Would you like me to heal you?" he asked.

She looked up at him.

"What?"  
"I can heal you of this sickness." he told her. "Do you wish me to?"  
"Um… Sure, yeah." she said.

He drew upon the magic he had, placing his hand on her shoulder. He could not find what was wrong with her, and his magic depleted.

"I don't feel different."

Loki knew it hadn't done anything. He tried again, his magic not taking effect.

"I cannot heal you."  
"Why?"  
"I do not know…"  
"Maybe the Gods took it away for good."  
"They are not allowed to, I would need to be there for them to revise my sentence."

Karliah shook her head.

"It's ok. I'm fine, I'll just go lay down and rest."

Loki picked her up after she tried standing on her own. He carried her back to the bedroom, laying her down gently on the bed.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"  
"I'm fine." she said, closing her eyes.  
"Are you in pain?"  
"No. I'm ok." Loki nodded, pulling a chair up to her bedside. "You don't have to stay with me."  
"I am not leaving you." he said firmly.

She reached out for his hand, and he held hers until she fell asleep.

* * *

Loki heard a soft knock on the door, then it opened to reveal Will and Ashley.

"How is she?" Will whispered.  
"She is still sleeping." Loki said, looking back to Karliah.  
"Has she woke up at all?"  
"No."  
"Do you know what's wrong?"  
"She just started feeling ill."  
"Did she drink last night?"

Loki laughed.

"No."  
"You wanna go get some food or something?" Ashley asked. "We can stay with her."

Loki looked back up at them, feeling hunger gnaw at his stomach. He stood up, nodding reluctantly, knowing if something were to happen in his absence, they could not call for his aide.

"If you need me…" he said. "Yell."  
"We've got her looked after." Will said, taking Loki's seat in the chair.

Loki left the room, wishing for fresh air to fill his lungs. He walked down the hall, looking around as if the surroundings were something he'd never seen before. He couldn't shake the ill feeling he had in his gut. He walked outside of the house, the grass prickling his bare feet. He walked out into the yard, looking up at the sky. He shook his head, opening up his arms.

"Is this my punishment?" he said aloud. "You hurt her for something I have done? Punish me… Not this woman… Foolish Gods…"

He took a deep breath, then turned back to the house. Just as he had reached the door, he heard a noise, causing him to turn back around. He stared at the people who now stood in front of him. It took him a moment to be able to say anything, let alone move. His mother stepped forward, embracing him in a tight hug. He hugged her back, in shock of her presence.

"My son…" she said.  
"Mother…." he replied. "What are you doing here?"  
"I had to see you…"  
"You are going to be in trouble." he said, letting go of her.

Thor stepped towards him now, having arrived with his mother.

"Brother." he said, hugging him aswell.

Loki was honestly happy to see him too, but questioned it immediately.

"Why have you two come here?" he asked.  
"We have heard you." Thor said. "You have changed brother."

Loki instinctively wanted to tell him he was wrong, but did not. He smiled slightly, nodding.

"I have."  
"You can come home." Frigga said.  
"No." Loki said.

She frowned.

"I'm sorry?"

The thought of Karliah laying inside sick caused Loki to almost shut down completely.

"I will not go home, mother." he said, stepping back. "Go home, please…"  
"Loki, we have come to bring you back."  
"Do not." he warned. "I will just leave again, and this time for good."

Thor seemed confused.

"Why brother?"  
"I… I cannot leave her."

Thor's face changed, immediately to an understanding look.

"Who?" Frigga asked.  
"Mother… Remember when you said I would find a woman worthy of my hand, and I would treat her like she was above myself?" Loki said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "… I have."

Frigga looked into his eyes.

"Loki…" she smiled, but it faded quickly. "Are you telling me the truth?"  
"I would never lie to you mother." he said.

She hugged him again.

"Loki, you cannot stay here, you do not belong here."  
"I am here due to banishment, yes? I can stay here if I am not worthy to come home. I can change to whatever I want, do not tell me where I will stay."

Thor could sense Loki's defensiveness.

"Show her to me." Thor said.  
"Why?"  
"I will not harm her, Loki."

Loki reluctantly showed Thor and his mother inside the house, knowing they would with or without him doing so. He walked with them through the main room, stopping them just before the hallway.

"There are more mortals here than just her." he said. "Let me just bring them out here first."

He opened the door and told Will and Ashley to come out to the hallway. They did so, immediately becoming alert when they saw Loki's family.

"Will, Ashley, this is my Mother, Frigga, and my brother, Thor." he said.

They seemed to take in the appearance of each other.

"This is the woman?" Thor asked.

Loki laughed.

"No. These are her friends."  
"This is your brother?" Ashley asked.  
"Nice to meet you." Will smiled.  
"Not the time." Loki told them. "Follow me."

Frigga and Thor did so. He stopped them again, this time just before they opened the door.

"I warn you… If harm threatens her, I will not hold myself back from you." Loki told Thor.  
"I told you, I am not going to harm her."

Loki nodded, opening the bedroom door. Karliah was still lying there, sleeping as if the world around her was still. Loki walked over to her side, looking at his family.

"This is the mortal?" Frigga asked.

Loki nodded.

"Her name is Karliah." he said. "She is… Everything to me."  
"Why does she sleep so?" Thor asked.  
"She is sick."  
"Sick?" Frigga asked. "You did not heal her?"  
"I cannot."

She frowned, walking over to Loki's side. Her face instantly changed to something Loki had never seen before. She was scared.

"Loki…" she said, grabbing his arm. "What have you done?"  
"I have not done anything, she woke up this way." he said, defending himself. "I would never hurt her!"  
"Loki she is not sick." she said, looking at him, worried.

Loki knew before she had said it, connecting the dots in his mind. He shook his head.

"No." he said. "It's not possible."  
"She is…"  
"No." he repeated. "She cannot be…"

Frigga beant down, putting her hand on Karliah's shoulder, causing her to stir. Frigga took her hand back quickly, nodding her head.

"She is."

Loki stared down at her, not knowing what to say.

"What is the problem?" Thor said.  
"She is pregnant." Frigga replied.  
"How is this impossible?"  
"She is not one of us." Loki argued, not wanting to accept what was just said.  
"It does not matter."

Loki shook his head. A mortal holding a God's child was not common. It was dangerous.

"What do we do?"  
"If she has your child, she can come with you to Asgard." Thor said.  
"I would need to be seen by the council first, and I will not leave her side. Not now. It was hard enough before and now you tell me she holds a… My… Child…" Loki said. "I will not leave her. And the Gods cannot create a court here."

Frigga looked at him.

"Perhaps…" she said, thinking before saying anything impossible.  
"Father may let her stay there, to come with you."  
"And if he does not?" Loki snarled, not wanting to consider his father controlling the woman he loved.

Karliah sat up, being awoken from the voices in the room. Loki sat beside her, calming her instantly.

"Do not be alarmed." he said.  
"Who are they?" she asked, her face pale.  
"They are my family." he told her. "My Mother and Brother."

She looked up at them, smiling a little.

"They are beautiful." she said.  
"They are Gods." he laughed, then snapped himself back into reality. "My mother, goddess of childbirth… She knows what is wrong."

Karliah stared at him, and he knew she didn't like the way he presented his sentence. She looked to Frigga, bowing her head slightly.

"It's so nice to meet you, m'am." she said. "Loki has told me so much."

Frigga smiled, kneeling down beside the bed.

"It is nice to meet the woman who was brave enough to knock some sense into my son." she said.

Karliah laughed.

"And this is your brother?" she asked.  
"Thor." he said, holding out his hand.

Karliah put her own in his, and he kissed it. She smiled.

"It's nice to meet you." she said.  
"Karliah?" Frigga said. "Do you have children?"  
"No."

She seemed to falter, not wanting Frigga to continue. She shook her head.

"I can't."  
"Why?"  
"Because, I… I just can't."  
"What happened to you to cause this?"  
"I'm not telling you I'm incapable of conceiving, I'm telling you I can't be a parent."  
"Dear… You have to be." she said.  
"I'm… Pregnant?" Karliah asked.

Frigga nodded lightly.

"Yes." she said.

Karliah shook her head, getting out of the bed.

"No, I can't be." she said, backing herself into a corner.  
"Karliah." Loki said, walking over to her. "It's alright. I've already told them you are under my protection, they are not going to do anything to you."  
"I can't be a mother Loki." she said, tears coming to her eyes. "I don't know how, I can barely take care of myself, I can't be a mother…. I can't."

Her tears fell down her cheeks and Loki wiped them away.

"You are not weak." he told her. "Remember, you told me that when we first met? You are strong. And you are not alone. Ok? I am not going anywhere."  
"What do you know about being a parent Loki?" she asked.  
"Absolutely nothing… But I am not going to just leave you." he said, wiping more tears from her face. "I promise."

She took a deep breath, then hugged him.

"Brother…" Thor said, causing them to end their embrace. "She will not live long here…"  
"What?" Loki said, turning to him. "Why not?"  
"She holds a God inside of her." Frigga said. "Her body was not meant for something like that…"  
"She is not weak."  
"It has nothing to do with morale."  
"How will Asgard help her?"  
"Gods can assist her."  
"They can come assist her here."  
"No Loki, they will not."

Loki sighed in frustration.

"If I cannot go back, she dies then." he concluded.  
"We can find a way if you cannot go back…" Frigga said.  
"You are not in power to do so." Loki said.  
"What is going on?" Karliah asked.  
"They have come here to tell me I can go home now." he told her.  
"Well… That's great." she smiled. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?"  
"Not if it means we are apart."

She smiled at him.

"Loki…" she said. "I will not keep you from going home. After all this time, this is what you've wanted, it's what you've worked for. I won't be the one to hold you back."  
"You have my…." he said, stopping himself. "You hold my child… I will not leave you to do this alone."  
"I must have died." Frigga said, her hand over her heart. "I have never heard you speak this way, Loki."

He smiled, realizing how different he sounded. He would never have said this before he was sent to Midgard, and especially not to a mortal. He shook his thoughts away quickly, focusing on the present.

"I will not bring her to Asgard if she will be harmed." he said. "I refuse."  
"I swear to you, brother, I will not allow her to be in danger there."

Loki looked to his mother, then back to Thor. He was defeated, knowing there was no other option if he wanted her to be in his care. He looked at her.

"Kar, do you trust me?"  
"Yes." she said.  
"I have to go…" he said. "I have to go to Asgard… I am not going without you though…"  
"You want me to go with you?"

Loki nodded.

"Only if it pleases you."

She smiled.

"I would love to go see it."  
"Are you sure? This is your decision, and no one elses."  
"I'm sure." she said, nodding.

Loki looked back to Thor.

"Then take us with you." he said.

They walked out of the bedroom, and down the hallway. Will and Ashley stood up off of the couch at the sight of Karliah.

"I'm going to go with Loki for a while." she said. "Don't be worried, I will be back."  
"Are you sure?" Will said, eyeing Thor and Frigga. "Do you trust these people?"  
"I trust Loki. I am going with him. I'll explain everything once I'm back. Deal?"

Will nodded, hugging her.

"Be safe." he said.  
"I will." she told him, hugging Ashley too.

She smiled at them, then followed Loki outside.

Once out in the yard, Thor let his booming voice be heard.

"Heimdall! Open the bifrost!" he said.

Loki saw the clouds turning, a rainbow color coming down. He heard Karliah gasp, and held her close to his side.

"Do not let go." he told her, and she clung tightly to him.

Loki felt himself being lifted as he and Karliah were sucked up into the clouds. After a few moments, their feet touched the ground, and Loki could see nothing but golden metallic around him.


	13. Back to Asgard

**Hey guys, here's another chapter! Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to R&R or PM if you want! Thanks guys, I'm at 195 views now. It means alot! Enjoy!**

* * *

Loki heard Karliah sigh in awe of the sight, but was soon grabbed by guards.

"Loki!" she yelled. Thor held her back. "Where are they taking him?"  
"They are being safe." he told her.  
"Karliah, it's alright." Loki said. "Stay with Thor."

She nodded as they put the metal muzzle on his face. She watched them take him away, down the rainbow bridge. Thor looked at her.

"Welcome to Asgard." he said.  
"Why are they taking him?" she asked again.  
"Loki was dangerous-"  
"No he's not!" Karliah said, raising her voice. "He would never hurt a thing, he's… He's different."  
"I know, and I see that. But they are following command from their King. There is nothing anyone can do until he goes to the council."  
"What council?"  
"The council of Gods."  
"So all the Gods get together to decide his fate and if he isn't good enough then what?"  
"He goes back to Midgard."  
"Why couldn't he just stay there?"  
"If you stay there you will die."

Karliah looked around, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't help but think of Loki being brought to a torture cell while they wasted time here talking.

"Let's go." she said.

Thor and Frigga brought her into Asgard, and she could not help but feeling amazed by the sight of all the metallic gold. The houses were beautiful, even the roads were gold. Then she saw the castle. She smiled. It was truly gorgeous. And big. She followed Thor and Frigga inside. They stopped within the doors, Frigga turning to Karliah.

"I must go to my husband. You are in safe hands, that I promise. Thor, don't leave her."

Thor nodded and she left.

"Do you know where he will be?"

He nodded.

"You cannot see him right now."  
"Why not? I'm not going to let him out, although he doesn't deserve to be in there anyways." Karliah said.  
"I just cannot allow you to see him." he said. "I will show you your room for the evening, and the council will gather tomorrow."

She nodded, following him up a big flight of stairs.

"When can I see him?"  
"Tomorrow." She shook her head, not liking that Loki was being treated like an animal. She followed him for a short while, passing doors along the way, wondering if Loki was behind any of them. Thor stopped her when they arrived at the door to the room she'd be staying in for the night. "If you need anything, tell your maidservant."  
"I could just call my God to me and he can assist me." she said, feeling slightly pissy.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"He is locked in a magical bind."  
"He is the God of magic."  
"He cannot get out, even if he had his powers back."  
"I can call him."  
"I would not advise it."

She stopped speaking, not wanting to argue. She opened the door to her chambers, leaving Thor out in the hallway. She closed the door behind her, hearing his footsteps walk away. The room was big. Bigger than what she would ever need. The bed alone could probably hold ten people comfortably. There was another room off to the side, and Karliah guessed it was the bathroom. There was a table for dining in the room aswell. She shook her head at the sight, half amazed and half thinking it was a glorified prison. She wondered what would happen if she did call Loki to her. She shook her head, not wanting to think about the state he might be in. She felt tears in her eyes at the thought of him being hurt and her not being able to do anything about it. She put a hand on her belly, averting her thoughts to what she now knew about her own body. She looked down at herself._ I have a baby in there,_ she thought. She suddenly wanted to talk to her Mom, to tell her that she was going to be a mother herself._ I'm going to be a mother… I'm gonna have a baby… _A small smile crept across her lips. She was scared, but knew she was not alone. She looked around, walking towards the bathroom. She pushed the door open slightly, looking inside. Her mouth hung open at the sight of the bath. It was in the center of the room, again, probably big enough to hold more than enough people in it. There were shower heads above. She smiled, letting her breath out slightly. She walked in, seeing soaps and candles on a ledge off to the side. She looked at them, picking up a bottle that was full of purple soap.

She flipped the cap of it open, smelling a lilac fragrance. She turned the water on, burning her hand at the touch. She hissed, yanking her hand back. She adjusted the water, poured the lilac fragrance in, then waited for it to fill, looking around for a towel in the meantime. She left the bathroom to look, seeing a wardrobe by the bed. She walked over to it, opening the doors. There were clothes, gowns for her to sleep in. She ran her hand over them, feeling silk everywhere. She smiled, picking one out that was a stunning emerald green. Again she felt the sadness of Loki being held prisoner. She walked away, going back into the bathroom. She could smell the soap bubbles as she closed the door behind her. She took her shirt off slowly, again letting her hands rest on her belly. She slid her pants off, then her socks. She sat on the edge of the tub, letting her feet slip into the warm water.

It felt refreshing, the water covering her skin, causing her to relax. She unsnapped her bra, letting it fall off of her chest. She stood at the corner of the tub, sliding her underwear off, then sat down. It was shocking at first, the warm water prickling at her, but she soon adjusted to the heat, causing her to lay her head back and close her eyes. _How fragile do I treat myself?_ she asked. _Do I treat myself like a child who's just been handed a pair of scissors?_ She did not know how to act or how to handle herself. She'd never had to know. Her thoughts drifted slowly and her consciousness followed suit, her body falling asleep.

* * *

Karliah woke up to silence. Nothing could be heard except the crackling of the few bubbles that were left floating on the top of the water. She sat up, looking around. _Oh yeah. I'm not at home._ She stood, letting the water drain from the tub. She reached for her towel, wrapping it around her body. She walked out to her bed, the room not changed from when she had gotten in the bath. Seeing the gown still laid out on the bed, she dried herself off. She slipped the silk on, loving how it felt on her skin. She sighed, drying off her hair. Once she was satisfied with it, she looked around for a brush, opening the drawers of the nightstands. She pulled one out, looking at the etchings on it. She liked it, although it was different from what she was used to. She ran it through her hair, not feeling an ounce of pain as she tugged through the snarls. She looked at the brush again, wondering if it was a charmed brush that the Gods all had. She put it back, pulling back the blanket of the bed. It was silky underneath, the sheets the same fabric of her gown. She crawled in, the mattress sinking to the shape of her body as she rested on it.

She wondered if Loki was as comfortable as she was at that moment. She put her hand on her belly again, smiling at herself. She closed her eyes, feeling sleep wash over her again.


	14. Council of the Gods

**Alright, so, as many views as I have gotten for this story, I have yet to get ANY reviews. I am considering this being my last post on this story, but I have more ideas for it. So, if you guys wanna see more, let me know I guess. It's been awesome either way, and I'm happy to have had over 200 views on my first story. Thanks guys! PLEASE R&R so that I know if I should stop wasting my time posting or not. Enjoy!**

* * *

Karliah woke up to the smell of eggs the next morning. She opened her eyes, feeling nauseous. She sat up quickly, getting out of the bed with haste. She fell to her knees a few steps later, heaving. She gagged a few times, her sick quickly spreading throughout the room. She wiped her mouth after she was done, wishing she had water. There were footsteps coming toward her, causing her to look up. A woman was helping her up, sitting her on the bed again.

"Can you hear me, m'am?"

Karliah nodded, trying to swallow the acidic taste in her mouth. She looked up at the woman.

"Who are you?" she asked.  
"I am your maidservant." she replied.  
"I'm sorry." Karliah told her, looking at the throw up on the floor. "I can clean it-"  
"Nonsense." she said. "I will take care of it. You first though. Are you feeling better now?"  
"Yeah, I'm ok."  
"Do you wish to eat? Perhaps, it would help your stomach settle." Karliah nodded, getting up slowly with the maid's help. She walked over to the table, looking at the food that was set for her. She sat, watching the maid pour some juice into a goblet. It was placed in front of her. "Do you need anything else, my lady?"  
"No. I'm ok." Karliah said. "Thank you."

The maid curtsied, then went to clean up the floor. Afterwards, she left the room. Karliah picked up a fork and slowly poked at the eggs. She smelled them, wondering if they would be different from eggs on Earth. She raised a fork-full to her mouth, taking a deep breath, and putting them in her mouth. She chewed lightly, her taste buds loving the flavor. She smiled, liking the food, and continued eating. She looked around while doing so, wondering if Loki was eating breakfast too. She thought about whether or not her baby would like this food. She put her hand near her belly, hoping it would like the nourishment.

After she was finished, she stood, feeling stronger than she did when she got out of her bed. She decided to dress herself, striping her body of the emerald green silk she had worn to bed. She put her jeans back on, along with her shirt. She imagined she probably looked weird here with such clothes on. She smiled. She turned to the door, hearing it open. When the doors were opened and shut again, Karliah was in the room with another woman. She was muscular, her dark hair back in a ponytail. She was dressed in armor, a shield on her back. She smiled at Karliah, perhaps trying to come off softer than what she appeared to be.

"Hello." Karliah said.  
"You are the woman who arrived with Loki?" she asked.  
"Yes…" Karliah replied cautiously.

The woman crossed her arm over her chest, bowing her head. Karliah wondered why. _He's a prince,_ she remembered.

"My name is Sif." the lady said, raising her head back to it's original level.  
"I'm Karliah."  
"It is nice to meet you." she said, smiling again.  
"Are… Are you a God too?"  
"Yes. I am the Goddess of War."

Karliah did not know if she should be scared of her. How was she supposed to defend herself if Sif were to attack her? She didn't know how to fight, let alone the way Sif was surely trained. Karliah also noted that she was pregnant, and Sif would undoubtedly know this is she knew she had arrived here with Loki.

"Are you here to tell me Loki's fate?" Karliah asked.  
"No." Sif said, stepping forward. "I have just come to simply meet you."

Karliah found this strange. Why would she want to meet her? Was it because she was a mortal? An animal to poke fun at in a cage?

"Why?" she asked, trying not to sound worried.

Sif seemed amused, but it faded when she saw Karliah was serious.

"Forgive me." she said. "I just wished to meet the woman who tamed Loki."

Karliah didn't know what to say to this. She hadn't really done much to him. She was a friend to him, which lead to more. She didn't chain him down and beat him until he was broken.

"Tame?" she said.  
"Perhaps that is not the word I should use… But it is the truth." Sif said.  
"If you are going to taunt him, I really don't-"  
"Please, I am not taunting. He is a friend."

Karliah suddenly felt jealous, not wanting to know what degree her friendship was with him.

"Do you know where he is?"  
"No one is allowed to see him."  
"Why do they treat him like he's some kind of monster?"

Sif swallowed, searching for words.

"You do not know what he is capable of." she said finally.  
"What is he capable of then?"  
"I hesitate to say… But I believe anything."  
"I don't care…" Karliah said. "He is different."  
"You are strong." Sif said, laughing slightly. "I like you."

Karliah smiled a little, feeling flattered at the compliment.

"Thank you." she said.  
"I will see you at the council." she said, crossing her arm over her chest again and bowing. "Good bye my lady."  
"Goodbye." Karliah said, watching her leave the room.

* * *

Karliah heard the door open again, yanking her from her train of thought. She got off the bed, seeing Thor in the doorway. She walked over to him, knowing it was time.

"I need to tell you the rules of being at the council." he said. "No one but the Gods and the royal family can be there, so this is an exception that you are present."  
"Ok." she said, nodding.  
"Rule number one, you don't speak. Rule number two, don't break rule number one." he said, holding up his fingers.  
"Ok." she laughed.  
"Follow me." he said, leading her out of the room. They walked down the hallway, silently. She felt her stomach turning, and didn't know if she was going to be sick again. She knew it was nerves though, and she took a deep breath. As they approached the door she could hear voices inside. When they opened, she saw nine people standing in a line. They seemed to be waiting for her. She moved closer to Thor, knowing he was her protection if they decided to treat her like they had treated Loki. Like a monster. He lead her into the room, walking her up to the first man that was in line.

Karliah seemed to know they were Gods. They were all strong, beautiful. They had different auras about them, and she guessed that these were the Gods who had Loki's future in their hands.

"Karliah, this is the council of Gods." Thor told her. "This is Baldur, God of joy, light and forgiveness. Amongst other things."  
"It's lovely to meet you, mortal." Baldur said, kissing Karliah's hand.

She smiled, walking with Thor to the next God.

"Freyr, God of peace and male fertility." Thor said.

Karliah felt calm when she was near the God. She liked this.

"Heimdall, guardian of the Gods."

Karliah noticed this God from when she arrived in Asgard. He was the gatekeeper of the Bifrost.

"Freya, goddess of beauty and love."

Karliah was jealous of the Goddess, her beauty enchanting her mind. Karliah felt attracted to the woman, shamefully shaking away what she'd never felt for another woman.

"Tyr, god of glory."

She felt proud around this God, finding glory within herself.

"Mani, goddess of the moon."

Karliah took in the Goddess' appearance, seeing nothing but shades of gray and white. It was different from the other Gods in their gold.

"Sol, her sister, and goddess of the sun."

Karliah felt her skin prickle, burning as if she had been sitting in the sun for too long.

"Hlin, goddess of protection."

This Goddess seemed different from the others. Karliah felt safe around her as expected, but she could see in her eyes that she was a friend to her. She had difficulty looking away from her.

"And this is Joro, goddess of Earth." Thor concluded. "This is the God you should pay the highest respect to. After Odin, of course. The Allfather."

Karliah looked from the goddess of her own realm, to where he was indicating. There was a man on the throne. He was old, but this did not break his character. He had power. Karliah knew that his was the man who raised Loki. This was Odin. She crossed her arm over her chest, like Sif had done to her, and knelt down to her knee.

"Rise, mortal." he said, and she did so. "You will witness this account."

She nodded, knowing even if she detested, she would have to be here anyways. Frigga stepped down the stairs, putting her arm around Karliah. She walked her over to the side, letting the Gods, Thor among them, kneel to their King, and gather on the other side of the room. Frigga sat with Karliah, making her feel more comfortable in the room of Gods.

"No matter what happens, do not speak." Frigga told her as the doors opened and guards marched in.

Karliah already felt herself wanting to protest as Loki walked in with the men. He seemed to search for her, and after finding her, his demeanor softening. They stopped at Odin's throne, the guards kneeling. Loki did so too, reluctantly.

"Rise." Odin said, and the guards walked away from Loki. "Welcome back, Loki."

Loki smirked, finding humor in this.

"You have been brought back before the council of Gods, so that we may reconsider your sentence to Midgard, realm of the mortals. You have been there for six months, and three weeks. Did you find resistance in your powers?"  
"Yes." Loki said, his voice hoarse. "I could not use them."  
"Did you ever use them for a mortal?"  
"Yes." he repeated. "I used them for the mortal in this room."  
"Why?"  
"Small reasons, none that altered her life."  
"Do you see yourself as worthy to come back to Asgard to live with your fellow Gods?"

Loki paused, seeming to think about his answer. He looked at Karliah, then back to Odin.

"I do not see the point in answering this question."  
"Why is that?"  
"Because I truly do not care if I come home or not. The only reason I would stay is if Karliah did."

Odin was silent, scanning Loki for his lies.

"Why do you care if the mortal stays?"  
"Because my home is with her."

The Gods murmured at this.

"You are speaking like a fool." Odin told him.  
"I speak the truth." Loki argued.  
"You speak like a child."  
"Then I shall stay in Midgard."

Odin looked at the other Gods.

"Loki is opting to stay in Midgard." he said. "What do the Gods think of this notion?"

Thor stood, a look of anger on his face.

"We cannot make a decision for his mortal." he said. "Loki will not leave her side, here or there. If he leaves, she will die. She holds a God within her, and we cannot sentence her to her death. She is under the protection of Hlin in her condition. We have no control."  
"This is my realm and if she wishes to live, she may stay. Loki is not bound to her by any means. He does not have to stay."

Karliah couldn't stop herself from standing.

"If Loki leaves so do I." she said.

The Gods murmured again. She had broken the one rule given to her, but she felt no regret. She wouldn't sit and let them banish her God from his home when she knew he deserved to be here.

"Sit, mortal." Odin said, his voice firm.  
"No." she replied. "If Loki leaves, I do too."  
"You will die." Thor said.  
"I don't care. I will not leave his side."  
"You cannot take the life of a God into your own hands. Your child belongs here."  
"I am in control of my child." Karliah said, feeling protective suddenly. "If you do not wish it to die, then you will let Loki stay here, with me, where he belongs."  
"Enough!" Odin yelled, standing now. He looked at Thor, who sat down. He looked at Karliah now, who did not. "Mortal, you know not who you talk down to."  
"I know very well who I am talking down to, Allfather. I will not, however, subjugate to your rules if it is not what I want."

He didn't seem to like this.

"You will do as we Gods command."  
"Then I will leave." she said, turning to leave the room.  
"No." Odin said, guards walking towards her.  
"Loki." she whispered, scared, and she immediately saw his duplicates surround her.

She looked back to Odin, the council of Gods all standing now.

"He is summoned by her." Hlin said, her voice clearly not human.

Odin seemed just as surprised as the Gods. He motioned for the guards to back away from Loki's duplicates, which did not fade from Karliah.

"Loki, you are called by this mortal?" Freya asked.  
"I do not know why, but yes, I am." he said.  
"Can others call you in Midgard?"  
"None but she have been able to do so."

Freya stepped forward, not breaking her eye contact with him. She stopped inches from his face.

"God of Lies, you cannot hide love from me." she said. "It is my power, and I know you have been touched with it."

Loki nodded.

"You do not deny this?"  
"No." he said. "I do love her."  
"Allfather." Freya said, looking to Odin. "He speaks the truth. She has him under her power. He will not be separated from her."

Odin was silent for a long while. Freya rejoined the Gods while they waited for him to say something. Anything. Karliah and Odin had eye contact for a long while. He finally looked to Frigga, not saying anything still. When he looked to Loki, he sighed.

"I grant you your powers back." he said simply. "You may stay here in Asgard, so long as you swear an oath to your council."  
"I accept the oath." Loki said.  
"Swear on the throne, Loki Laufeyson, that you will never do harm to Midgard again."

Loki found this to be an odd request. Why not swear to never harm any realm again? Why not swear to only use his powers for good? Why? He nodded, though, accepting this simple request.

"I swear, on the throne, that I will never do harm to Midgard so long as I live." Loki said, crossing his arm over his chest and bowing.  
"Let it be known that Loki has his full powers back." Odin said. The council bowed to Loki, and he bowed back. "This council is dismissed."

Loki turned to Karliah, and she stared at him. His duplicates vanished, allowing her to run over to him. She hugged him, happy to know he was free to do what he wished now. She looked at him, not letting him go.

"Thank you." he said.  
"For what?"  
"Believing in me."

She smiled, kissing his lips passionately. He pulled away from her, smiling too.

"Has anyone ever told you you need to learn to hold your tongue?"  
"More or less…"  
"You are brave."  
"I know what I want."

He nodded, letting her hug him once more.

* * *

**Ok, so do remember, I have MORE ideas, and would love to keep posting, but really don't want to if it's going to be a waste of time. Let me know guys! Thanks!**


	15. Realization

**Here's another chapter! Enjoy and R&R please!**

* * *

Loki woke up early the next morning, unable to sleep. He could not sleep for more than five minutes without a nightmare starting. They all were variations of Karliah being hurt, or him losing her. He had just given up trying, laying awake until she was done resting. He lay on his side, Karliah facing away from him. She was cuddled up to him, her head resting on his bicep. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, her skin soft against his. He smiled a little, loving how peaceful she was, compared to what she was when they were separated upon their arrival in Asgard. She murmered his name. He kissed her head softly, not wanting to wake her. He looked down at her body, his hand leaving her shoulder to find her stomach. A child, an infant was just underneath his touch, growing inside of her. He could hardly fathom the thought of him being a father. He had never known his true father, and was not on very good terms with his adopted one.

He would need help. He knew this. He wondered if Karliah felt as shaken by this as he did, not knowing anything about how to parent a child. Part of him reacted by saying he did not HAVE to be one. He could simply claim he had never been with her, and that it was a mistake. He shook his head at himself, wishing that whatever was inside himself that made him think so selfishly like that would just go away forever. He did not wish to leave Karliah, nor abandon the child. He would not be the father that he never had. He would not stoop to that level.

She stirred, Loki removing his hand from her. She rolled to her back, not opening her eyes. He eyed her again, lifting her gown to reveal the skin on her belly. He touched it gently. She shivered and he looked up at her. _I love this woman…_ he thought. He sat up, needing to get away from her before he woke her up to tell her so. She needs rest, I can speak with her later.

He stood, the floor cold against his bare feet. He walked over to the window, staring out at the beauty of Asgard. I'm home, he told himself. He smiled, knowing he had completed the task given to him, gaining a companion in the process. She was probably the most loyal one he was ever going to have, too. _She loves me,_ he thought. _She LOVES me._ He shook his head, laughing lightly. How could anyone fall for him? He wondered what it would take to get her to stop. Would he have to leave her for another woman, or perhaps destroy Midgard for real this time? He didn't dwell on this thought long, almost paranoid of losing her as it was already.

He heard heaving, and turned to see Karliah hanging off the side of the bed, panting. He rushed over to her, rubbing her back as he sat beside her. She wiped her mouth when she was done, looking up at him with a pale face.

"I'm sorry." she said.

He waved his hand, the mess disappearing. She smiled a little, then made a face of pain.

"Your head hurts…" he said, guessing her problem.  
"Yeah…"

He put his hand on her shoulder, letting his magic heal her pain. She looked better afterwards.

"Thanks." she said, laying back down.  
"I am sorry you feel this way." he told her.  
"It's normal."  
"I love you." he told her.

She smiled at him.

"I love you too." she replied.

He stood, letting her fall back to sleep. He had trouble walking away from her, trying to convince himself that she was not in harm's way if he left her. He walked to the table that was in their chambers, waiting for her to awaken again.

* * *

"How is she?"  
"She is resting a great deal."  
"She needs to be sure to move around, it will help her feel better."  
"She has no energy."  
"Give her some."  
"She shies away from my magic."  
"Why?"  
"She worries it will effect the child."

Frigga laughed lightly, looking away from Loki.

"She thinks like a mortal." she said. "Magic will only help it."  
"Mother…" Loki said, not knowing how to explain his feelings. "I am scared."  
"You are not alone, Loki. We are all here to help you."  
"I know nothing of what a father should be like."  
"What do you wish your father would be like?"

Loki hated having this discussion with her, knowing she would be offended by what he thought of her husband.

"I wish he would be honest. And would see me as an equal, not a subject. I wish he would love me for what I am, not what I was supposed to be. I wish he'd understand that I'm not perfect and I never will be."

Frigga smiled at him, sad to hear his thoughts.

"That is how you should be then." she said. "Give him everything you wish to have."  
"Him?"  
"Or her."  
"Do you know what it is?"  
"I cannot see it yet." Frigga replied, shaking her head. "We will know in time…. What do you wish it to be?"

Loki smiled.

"I do not know." he said truthfully. "I want it to be… Happy."  
"It will be."  
"Not without it's mother." he scoffed.  
"She will live, Loki. The Gods have already sworn their oath to protect her when the times comes for the child to be delivered."  
"That doesn't mean anything. If Hades wishes to take her, he will."  
"Hades does not get a choice in this. The child is under the protection of Hlin, as is Karliah. He cannot take her."  
"You honestly think that he will hesitate?" Loki asked, his voice growing irritated.

Frigga sighed.

"Be calm, my son. Your lover will live."

Loki's heart fluttered at the thought of her, wondering if she was awake now, perhaps, wondering where he was.

"I must go." he said, kissing his mother's hand and leaving her behind.

* * *

**Ok, I know Hades is the Greek God of the Underworld, but I find that tiny fact irrelevant right now. So ignore that loop-hole in my plot. :P R&R please! Thanks guys, hope you enjoyed it!**


	16. Wandering About

**Ok, so here is another chapter. Hope you guys like it! Don't forget to rate and review please! Thanks guys!**

* * *

Karliah woke up, her stomach turning. She prayed she wouldn't throw up, her throat raw from already having done it so many times in the past day. She felt the feeling go down, and took a deep breath. She sat up slowly, looking around the room. She smiled at it's beauty, still not used to how different it was from her room back on Earth. She let her legs hang off the bed, her hair a tangled mess falling on her shoulders. Loki was not in the room with her. She frowned, wondering where he was. _He must have royal duties,_ she thought to herself, thinking of him wearing a crown and sitting on a throne. She smiled, knowing this was most likely not the case. Slowly standing, she noticed the window that overlooked the realm. She walked over to it, sighing at the beautiful purple sky above her. The buildings were magnificent, and she saw young children down below the castle playing. She put her hand on her belly, thinking of her own child within her. Her heart skipped a beat as she caught a glimpse of her wrist, and she flipped it up to herself quickly. There was no ink there, her tattoo now gone. There were no scars either, her wrist looking like it did before she'd ever put a blade to it. She didn't like this, however, and felt herself wanting to cry. She looked at her other, the stars gone aswell. She looked to her legs, the ribbons and quotes all missing. Her heart ached. She had grown accustomed to the ink, liking how they decorated her body. They had meant something to her, giving her comfort whenever she looked at them. She sighed, making a mental note to talk to Loki about this.

She walked away from the window, wishing she'd had clothes instead of the gown she was wearing. _Oh yeah,_ she thought. _Wardrobe._ She walked over to it, opening it and smiling at the selection of dresses she'd had. She picked one out, the shade of purple catching her eye. She took the gown off, wondering if the dress would provide support where she was lacking a bra. She slipped into it easily, the soft fabric kind to her skin. She smiled after she saw herself in the mirror, then frowned at her hair. She found her brush again, loving the painless tugs of it. After it was brushed, her hair fell beautifully, slightly curled naturally. She looked different. She had been in bed for days, with no energy to move around. She wondered if Loki had given her some magic before he'd left that morning, although she had already told him she didn't want a single enchantment put on her. She shook her head, telling herself he wouldn't do it if it were going to hurt her or the baby.

She walked over to the door, turning the handle. It opened slightly, and she peeked outside. The golden hallways were desolate until she heard footsteps coming. She withdrew slightly, watching guards doing their routes. They stopped after one noticed her, bowing before speaking.

"My lady." he said. "Is there something wrong?"  
"No." she said. "Um, where is everyone?"  
"They are gathered in the throne room."

Karliah didn't know if she should go to the room, wondering if there were more gatherings with the council. She nodded, thanking the guard.

"How do I get out of here?" she asked.  
"My lady?"  
"Like, out of the castle."  
"We can take you to the front doors."  
"No, that's ok." she said. "I'm ok. Thank you."

They bowed, then left her to do as she pleased. She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She needed to make a mental note of how to get back here, knowing the castle was big. As she walked down the hallway, she counted how many doors there were. Reaching the end of the hallway, she looked back, then went down the stairs. She saw the doors she'd came in, walking cautiously towards them. She wondered if she would be in trouble for wandering. She could call Loki if she really needed him, she was in no danger. She walked across the room, guards bowing to her as they opened the doors for her. She smiled, the purple sky coming into her view again. She took a step outside, realizing she was barefoot. She shrugged, walking down the stairs that led to the rest of Asgard from the castle. The kids that were playing outside stopped at the sight of her. A girl came to her, curtsying and holding out her hand. Karliah smiled.

"Hello." she asked, the little girl smiling back. She then realized the girl was offering her something. "What is this?"

Karliah held her hands out, and the little girl dropped a pendant into her palms. She smiled at the sight of it, recognizing that it was Earth's globe. She looked back to the child.

"Thank you." she said.  
"My lady." she said, curtsying again.

She ran back to her friends, continuing the game they had been playing. Karliah rubbed the pendant, suddenly missing her own friends back at home. She tucked it away in her dress, walking forward, trying to shake the thoughts. Then she smelt it. That smell that was just all too familiar. Horses. She looked around, seeing the stables. She smiled, not able to stop herself from going inside. She peeked first, not knowing if she would be in trouble. There was no one inside. She only saw horses. She stepped in, looking at the individual stalls. She pet the first one she saw, missing her own companion. It let her do so, and she looked at it's body. It was black, not a single other color on it besides it's golden hooves. She smiled at the sight, never seeing such a thing before. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of it's legs, realizing it had eight of them. She heard someone behind her. She turned, smiling at the sight of Loki. He smiled at how she looked, both her hands on the horse's face.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.  
"I found my new room." she joked.

He laughed. He walked over to her, his hands behind his back.

"This is Odin's horse." he said. She removed her hands, not wishing to be in trouble for tampering. "You miss home."  
"I love it here." she told him. "But it's not home."  
"You can still go back…"  
"No." she said. "I won't be that selfish. It's… It's beautiful here. I really like your world."  
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.  
"You charmed me."  
"You need to move around, it is your doctor's orders."  
"Doctor?" she questioned.  
"My mother has taken the liberty of seeing to your health during your pregnancy." he explained. "God of childbirth and all…"

She smiled, nodding.

"Right." she said, looking at the horse.

He looked at the horse too, not moving his arms from behind him.

"I have requested time for you to go back home and put your affairs in order." he said.

They looked at each other, her hands dropping to her sides now.

"To go home?" she asked. "Is that ok for me to do?"  
"The reason that you cannot live there is because when it is time to deliver, your body will not withstand it. You were not built for something so strong." he said. "You may go home and say your goodbyes and name your successors."

Karliah hated how he said that. How could she ever just say goodbye to everyone she loved? She couldn't imagine how furious her father would be when she told him she was running away, pregnant, with a man she'd not even know for a whole year yet. She smiled, tears coming to her eyes at the thought. He stepped forward, putting his hand on her face. She loved the touch.

"I am sorry it has to be this way…"  
"It's ok…" she said. "Will I be able to at least visit?"  
"I do not know…" he said honestly. He looked regretful. "I am sorry."  
"I wouldn't change anything Loki." she said, wiping her tears away. "I promise you that."

He looked at his feet, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation. She made him look at her before she kissed him. This made her own feelings settle, only feeling love where she had just felt the sadness. Their kiss was slow, passionate. They stayed this way until Karliah let him have access to her mouth. It seemed to trigger something in him because he pressed her up against the wall. She let him kiss her more intensely for a moment, then she pushed him back slightly, breaking their kiss.

"Not here." she said, and he opened his eyes, gaining control over himself once more. She smiled. "I love you."  
"I love you." he said, returning to his gentle demeanor.  
"Promise me you're in this with me?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I promise I am with you." he said.

She smiled, kissing him softly once more.

* * *

"Heimdall, we need to go to Midgard." Loki said as he and Karliah approached the gatekeeper at the end of the Bifrost.

The dark man looked to Karliah, then back to Loki.

"How long will you be there?" he asked.  
"Two days." Loki replied.  
"Very well." Heimdall said, walking into the little room that would transport them back to Earth. He put his sword in the slate, causing Yggdrasil to expand her roots above their heads. Karliah smiled at it's beauty.

Loki took her waist, pulling her in close to him. He had told her beforehand that he would hold her to keep her safe during the transportation, fearing something bad happening to her. She had not objected, letting him do what he needed to ease his paranoia.

"Ready?" he asked.  
"Ready." she said, feeling her body being pulled into the light of the spinning machine.

She felt herself becoming sick, wishing the force pushing down on her would end. She hated how it felt, burying her face into Loki's shoulder. She didn't know how long she could withstand the force, worrying about what it could do to her unborn child. Just as she seriously was starting to get worried about the duration of the travel, she felt her feet touch ground, and she fell to her knees, feeling the prickle of familiarity underneath her. Grass.


	17. Family Feud

**This chapter is LONG guys. 3, 139 words. I hope you guys enjoy it! I'm over 420 views now. Thanks so much and don't forget to R&R!**

* * *

Loki helped Karliah to her feet as he looked around at his surroundings.

"We're in the field." she noted, brushing herself off. She was still wearing the purple dress she had put on that morning. Her wrists were bare, the tattoos still gone. "Did that hurt you as much as it hurt me?"  
"No." he said.  
"Am I going to be ok?" she said, and he knew what she meant.  
"Yes." he replied. She looked around, then started walking across the tall grass. He followed. "What is your intention?"  
"I need to talk with my parents, and I need to talk with Will and Ashley. I need to figure out what I'm gonna do with…" she paused, trying to voice her thoughts without dwelling on them much. "With Scout."

Loki knew she was saddened at the thought of this. She watched her feet as she walked.

"Is that all?"  
"I need to quit my job too."  
"You owe them no explaination for anything."  
"Yeah I do." she laughed, looking up at him. "I wouldn't just let them get screwed out of an employee…. Although two days doesn't give them much…"  
"Where is our first destination?"  
"My parents." she said. "Let's get it over with. They won't be pleased."

He wondered suddenly if her parents would want to make her stay. Obviously they wouldn't like the idea, but perhaps they would support their daughter in her decisions. He thought of his own mother, imagining what she would say if he told her he was going to live on Earth willingly for the rest of his life. He then understood why Karliah felt upset. He wouldn't like never seeing his family again either.

They walked for a long while, Loki remembering the first time they had done this. Things had certainly changed since then. The house came into view, the horses close to the driveway as they walked up to it. Loki smiled at the sight of his steed, Shadow walking up to the fence-line. He pat it briefly, the horse walking alongside him. Karliah smiled at this, looking around for her own.

"Here we go." she said, taking a deep breath.

Loki followed her up the steps to the house. She called out, her mother running into the room and hugging her.

"Karliah Anne Anderson where have you been?!" she said, looking at Loki, then back to Karliah. "Will and Ashley said you haven't been home in days, we were all so worried… What are you wearing?"  
"Mom… Yes, I'm ok, I've been…. Where is Dad?" Karliah said, evading the questions.  
"What's wrong?" Caren asked.  
"Nothing." Karliah said. "Where is he?"  
"He's upstairs."  
"I need to have a talk with both of you."  
"Why?"  
"Mom, please just trust me." Karliah said.

Caren seemed to listen to her daughter, turning to go up the steps. Karliah looked at Loki.

"Just so you know my Dad owns a gun…" she told him.

Loki smiled.

"Remember I have my full powers now."  
"Just please let me do the talking."

He nodded, watching her parents walking back down the stairs. Karliah hugged her father. Loki noted that he didn't look happy.

"Where've ya been?" he asked her, giving Loki a look.  
"I have…" Karliah began, then smiled, not knowing how to say anything. "I have been with Loki."  
"Obviously." Steve said.  
"Ok, I'm going to just be completely honest with you guys, cuz I don't know how else to say anything." she said. "Do you guys remember last year, New York was attacked?"

They nodded.

"That was because of Loki."

They looked at him, then back to her.

"Loki is a God. He's from Asgard, he isn't from Earth." she said, knowing her parents didn't believe in such things. "He was banished her, the other Gods took his powers away and sent him here because of what he did. And while he lived with me and my friends, he started to change and he ended up being able to go back home. That's where I have been… I've been in Asgard…. And I am going to live there… I have to. I am… I have to if I want to live, I'm… I'm pregnant."

Caren's attention was grabbed immediately at this.

"What?" she said.  
"I'm pregnant." Karliah repeated.

Caren hugged her daughter, smiling.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you." she said, then let go of her. "Wait… It's Loki's?"

Karliah nodded.

"Wow." Steve said, looking very agitated.  
"Dad, I know this isn't really... Ideal. But it's happening whether you guys like it or not. I love Loki." she said, looking at him. "And I'm going with him."  
"Ok, where is this place?" Steve asked.  
"Asgard. It's not on Earth."  
"Did he drug you too?" he laughed. "Come on Karliah."  
"Dad, I swear to you with everything I have, I am not lying." she said. "I promise."

Steve looked at Loki.

"You're taking my daughter?"

Loki nodded.

"She has to live there if she wants to survive the pregnancy."  
"Why?"  
"Because her body was not built for it and the assitance she needs is in Asgard."  
"Maybe you shoulda thought of that before you slept with her." Steve scoffed.

Loki nodded slightly.

"I deserved that." he said.  
"You're damn right you deserved it!" Steve said, stepping forward.

Caren and Karliah both stepped in between him and Loki.

"Dad, stop." she said. "This isn't good for anyone."  
"So what, you're here to say goodbye and go live in another world with an alien that tried destroying New York City?"  
"He's not an alien." she said, humored slightly.  
"Answer me."  
"Yes. That is what I'm here to do."  
"Kar, this is not you." he told her.  
"Dad, this is what I want."  
"You want to just leave your family and everything you've ever had in your life to go and live in space?"  
"It's not that simple."  
"Yes it is."  
"No, it's not. I have a…" she said, looking down at her belly, her hands rubbing it. "I have a baby… I want what will keep it alive and if this is it, I have to."

Caren seemed to understand what Karliah was saying. Steve, however, remained skeptical.

"No." he said, turning to leave the room.  
"No?"  
"No. You aren't going."  
"Dad-"  
"You are not going." he said again, more firmly. He left the room.

Caren looked at Karliah again, sighing.

"Are you like… Ok?"  
"Yes Mom." she said. "I'm fine…. I just need you guys to know what's happening and that I am going to be ok…"

Caren hugged her again, looking at Loki in the process. When she let go of Karliah, she grabbed Loki's hand. Loki let her squeeze it, feeling her worry.

"You better take care of my daughter." she said, warning in her voice.

Loki knew that she was serious, although she could never hurt him. He had heard of mortals being very protective over their children, and knew it was not different with her. He kissed her hand, bowing slightly.

"She will not be harmed so long as I am alive." he promised.

She smiled, hugging him. When she let go, she told Karliah she was going out to the porch, and left. He looked at Karliah, knowing she was having an inner-battle with herself.

"I am so sorry." he said, wishing she wasn't so hurt by the events. "Is there anything I can do?"  
"No Loki." she replied. "There is nothing you can do…. I, uh.… I wanna go upstairs for a minute… I just wanna go look at my room…"  
"May I go with you?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I want you to." she told him. He followed her, the stairs creeking underneath their weight. As they climbed the stairs, Loki saw pictures on the wall. They weren't painted like the ones in Asgard, but they were still nice to look at. He saw a picture of Karliah smiling, her hair cut short and her grin wide. He laughed. "That's a terrible picture."

"I think it's perfect." he said.

They kept walking, more pictures on the wall of the next floor of the house. He took in his surroundings, noticing how small the walls were built in around them. It was quaint; he liked this. She led him all the way to the end of the hallway, and she looked out the window. They saw her mother and father arguing, their voices muffled.

"Come on." she said, opening the door next to them. He saw her smile as she looked around the little room. He looked at it's size, noting how small it was compared to his room back in Asgard. The bed was made up, as if waiting for her to come home and sleep for the night. She sat on it, feeling the blankets under her hands. "I haven't been in here in so long…."

"Why not?"  
"You grow up and leave home, it's how it works. I really am only here for my horse, otherwise this isn't where I live." she said, then she laughed, something catching her eye as she looked around. "Oh my gosh."

She stood, grabbing a wooden thing Loki had never seen before off a stand. She took it into her arms, smiling at him.

"What is it?" he asked.  
"My guitar."  
"What is that?"  
"It makes music." she said, looking at it. She strummed her fingers down, then immediately put her hand over the strings, as if the hum it made was unbearable to her. "I loved playing."  
"Why did you stop?"  
"I don't know…" she said, putting it back. He could see tears in her eyes as she picked up a necklace off her dresser. "I am going to miss Earth."  
"I know you will…" he replied, sadness in her voice.  
"I've never been one for change." she admitted. "But I want this. I want to go with you, I want what is best for my baby and for me… And I want you."

He touched her face. _I don't deserve this…_he thought. But he knew she wouldn't change her mind so he shook it away. She took the little pendant off the chain of the necklace, taking the one out of her dress. Loki watched her put it on, noticing her relax a little, as if she was accepting what was happening. She reached out for him, her other hand lingering over the necklace on her chest. He grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to hug her.

"Loki?" she said, her head resting on his chest.  
"Yes?"  
"Am I a princess now?"

He laughed.

"No."  
"Why do the guards bow to me?"  
"Because you are a guest in the house of Odin and it is their duty."  
"Oh."

Loki thought of this, wondering if she technically WAS a part of the royal family now. She was a mother to a God, she had the right to some power in Asgard. She was a mortal, able to do anything she wanted without question. The Gods could not harm her as long as she was pregnant with a God. Once the baby was born, however, this was not the case anymore. A mortal in Asgard was like Loki going to Jotunheim and expecting the Giants to treat him with respect. The Gods owed Karliah nothing, and they wouldn't give her anything so long as she had means of survival. Loki knew he would have to do something about this, to ensure she would be safe even after the baby was born.

"We should go." she said.

He let go of her as she stepped from him, leaving the room for the last time. She smiled back at it after he'd stepped out in the hallway with her. She closed the door after a sigh then led him back downstairs. Steve and Caren were at the table. Steve stood, walking out of the room. Karliah looked to her mother, wishing to hear an explaination for the arguing.

"He's…. Upset." she said.

Loki saw something go off in Karliah, although she said nothing. She went into the next room, looking for her father.

"Dad, I know you don't understand and that you might not want to, but you need to just let me do this. I know what I want and there is nothing you can do about it. I will die if I stay here." she said loudly.

Loki listened as they went back and forth, not knowing what to do. Caren seemed to watch him, as if she was having a conversation inside herself about the situation.

"You can't just go wherever you want!" Steve said.  
"I am twenty three years old Dad! I can do whatever I want. I love you guys and I always will but you can't make me stay here."  
"That child needs to stay here, with family that will love it. Not with people like him, who just come into people's lives and take whatever they want. He's ruined you."  
"Stop!" Karliah yelled. It was silent for a moment. "Do not tell me what he is. Don't tell me what he's done to me, because you will never know. I love him Dad…. I love him."

Loki could hear that she was crying, her voice shaking as she stood up for him. As much as he knew she was struggling, he felt very grateful that she was doing so.

"Leaving is not what's best for your child."  
"This is my choice!" she said. "I will do what I feel is best for MY child. And living is the choice to make. You may not believe something bad will happen to me, but it will. I have to go with him… I want to go. There's nothing you can do to change it."

She walked back into the room, not stopping, and going out the front door. Loki did not follow, knowing she needed to just be alone at the moment.

"I'll go talk to him." Caren said, but Loki put his hand up.  
"Please." he said. "May I?"

She nodded reluctantly. Loki stepped into the next room, seeing Karliah's father leaning on the counter, arms crossed and looking at the floor. Loki cleared his throat, causing Steve to look up at him. He said nothing.

"I feel like I owe you an explanation." he said.  
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Steve retaliated.  
"Please…" Loki said. "I… I love your daughter…. I know we haven't know each other for long, but… She has truly changed me… I was banished to Earth as a terrible man… And I leave it peacefully, because she has taught me peace. I leave here happy and I know what it means to feel…. Anything… I know this is not how mort- … Humans… Do this. But there is no other way to do this. I would not make Karliah leave her home and everything she's ever loved just for my own selfishness… I may have then, but I would never now. She means too much to me, and I can see how much she means to you aswell. I know you may not be able to accept it, but I truly am sorry for what is happening… And I can promise you that I would lay my life down if it meant she was happy… I promise you she is in good hands."

Loki felt his heart hammering as he spoke his feelings out loud. This was still new to him; Karliah had been the only person he'd really ever gotten into deep feelings with. He looked down at the floor as Steve stared at him. He couldn't stay here anymore, he needed to get away from this human that shook him so much. He didn't understand why, but he felt fear towards this man. He shook his head as he left the room, going outside to find Karliah. He looked around, the wind blowing on his face. He felt chilled where his tears had fallen down his cheeks. He could feel himself changing, seeing his hands going blue. He didn't care. All he needed was to make sure Karliah was ok.

He walked out to the pasture, knowing exactly where she would be. And there she was, sitting out in the grass, Scout standing beside her. He smiled, her beauty marvelous, even in her sorrow. He entered the gate, Shadow again following him as he walked. He was distracted from the moment, letting himself find humor in the horse's consistent nudging for attention. He stood in front of Karliah, and she did not look up to him. She simply kept pulling out blades of grass from the earth, sniffling as her tears fell. He sat with her, watching her actions. She sighed.

"Well?" she said.  
"I spoke with him."

She looked up at him.

"Why?"  
"Because I owed it to him. And I needed him to know that I would not let harm come to you."  
"What'd he say?"  
"Nothing."  
"Figures."  
"He is stubborn… But his intentions are good."  
"I love my Dad, I do… But I won't let him make my choices for me." she said. "He doesn't understand what is going on."

Loki nodded.

"What do we do now?"  
"I'm going to talk to my Mother about what we're doing with Scout." she said, more tears falling as she looked up at her animal. She pet his leg, making him shift slightly.

* * *

They sat at the table, Loki not hearing a word that was being said. He was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He was trying to devise a plan to bring peace to Karliah's father. As soon as an idea came to him, Steve walked in from outside, not saying anything to any of them. Loki knew what he had to do, although he had no idea how. He knew how mortals did it, but figured he could do it his way. Something turned in his stomach, making him feel sick. He closed his eyes, wishing he didn't feel so cowardly. He was a God, his powers fully restored, and he felt like he was the weakest thing to ever take in a breath. He stood, Karliah looking at him. He looked at her, then left the room, following Steve.

She didn't object, although he didn't think he could've heard it even if she did. The sound of his heart surely was loud enough to drown out any sound the world was making at the moment. He couldn't hear himself breathing, his thoughts were racing. He swallowed hard as Steve turned to look at him as soon as they were alone again. He felt his stomach turn again, but took a deep breath in, and spit out his pathetic words.

"Sir…" he said. "I have a request to make of you…."

* * *

**Cliff-hanger. Muahaha. :P**


	18. Promise

**I got some excitement from the last chapter, so I hope this one does the same for you guys. Thanks again for the support! Don't forget to rate and review!**

* * *

Three hours. That's how long Loki and Steve had talked. At first, they yelled, then they spoke realistically. Those were bearable, but Loki couldn't stand what they were doing now. Steve was silent now, leaving Loki to wonder what was processing in his mind. He watched Steve. He was sitting on the couch, leaned forward, hands folded. Loki wished he would just say something. As Loki began to consider leaving him be alone for a while, Steve stood, sighing.

"Under one condition…" he said.

* * *

Loki and Steve entered the dining room, Karliah and Caren standing at the sight of them.

"So…" Caren said, trying to break the silence.

Steve walked over to Karliah, grabbing her hand.

"I love you." he told her. "And… I'm going to miss you while you're away…"

Karliah hugged him, smiling at his words. She looked at Loki and mouthed 'thank you' to him. He smiled, nodding back at her.

"So the talk went well then?" Caren asked.  
"Loki and I have agreed on some things and I believe this is what will make my baby girl happy." Steve said, looking at her.

Caren hugged her too, tears in her eyes.

"I love you honey." she said. "You don't ever forget that."  
"I love you too Mom…" Karliah said, her voice breaking slightly. "I have to go and talk to Will and Ashley still…."  
"Need a ride?"  
"If you don't mind."

* * *

"OMG girl, where have you been?!" Will said, hugging Karliah as she came in the door.  
"It's a very interesting story, I promise." Karliah told him, knowing he was upset with her lack of communication with them for the past few days.  
"Let's hear it." Ashley said, hugging her next.  
"Loki, you can't just kidnap people." Will said, smiling at him.

Loki smiled back. He had missed his friends in the days he was back in Asgard. A part of him did not want to leave. He had grown to love the two of them. They were fun to be with and had supported him when he was having difficult times learning about Earth. He was in their debt and knew he would need to repay them someday.

"Guys, I am pregnant." Karliah said bluntly.

Will and Ashley stood there, shock written clearly across their faces. Ashley was the first to crack a smile, looking at Will, then back to her.

"What?" she said. "Like, are you serious?"

Karliah nodded.

"Do your parents know?" Will asked concernedly.  
"Yeah."  
"Way to go." Will said to Loki.

Loki suddenly wished people would stop blaming him for this, although he knew it was his doing. It made him feel like he had taken Karliah against her will. He looked down at his feet.

"Here's the thing though, I um… I have to leave." she said.  
"Leave?"  
"Yeah… Because of who he is, I actually have like, a God-infant… So I have to live there because I'll die if I don't."

Will was angry now, his face changing.

"So you're just going to live in another realm?"  
"Yes."  
"Karliah, this is silly."  
"No, it's what I need to do to survive."  
"Well…" Ashley sighed. "This sucks."

Loki smiled. He was going to miss how funny she could be.

"I know it does, but I promise, this is not the last time I'll see you guys. I'll come back as soon as I can."  
"So after the baby is born you can come back?" Will asked.  
"More or less." Karliah said. "I'm not completely sure, but I will demand to be able to come back here to visit."  
"Ok…" Will said, hugging her again. "I love you, and you know it. I supported you through everything you've done in life and this is no different."  
"Thank you." Karliah said.  
"Me too." Ashley told her.  
"You better take care of her." Will said, pointing at Loki.  
"I will do my best." Loki smiled.  
"So are you leaving now?" Ashley asked.  
"I have two days… I want to just get it over with though. I feel like if I stay here then I'll not want to leave again."  
"You already say goodbye to your parents?"

Karliah nodded.

"What about work?"  
"I need to do that still."  
"When are you doing it?"  
"I need to go now."  
"I'll drive you." Will said.  
"Actually…" Loki said, causing them to look to him. "I need to speak with you."  
"Me?" Will said.

Loki nodded.

"Ok."  
"Alone."

Will smiled, giving Karliah a look.

"Well. Maybe he's gonna say goodbye to me now."

They laughed, enjoying each other's company for but a moment's time, knowing this was the last time they'd have jokes like this.

"Alright, we can go talk and Ashley can take you." Will said.

Ashley picked up the keys off the table as Karliah looked at Loki. He simply did not look at her, knowing she'd be able to read him like a book if he did. He found this humorous though, because before he'd met her, he had no trouble hiding things from people. Now, his feelings were so known to her, that he had to actually make an effort to make sure no one knew what he was feeling. He and Will went to the next room as Karliah and Ashley left the house.

* * *

When the girls got back to the house, Will and Loki were no where to be found. Ashley called out for them, but no answer returned.

"Call him." she told Karliah. "Maybe they did want some alone time."

Karliah smiled.

"No." she said. "Something's wrong with him, he doesn't want me to know what…. But I know something's wrong."  
"Maybe he feels bad."

Karliah shrugged, hoping this wasn't the case.

"I hope they aren't drinking." she laughed.  
"Oh jeez." Ashley said, kicking her shoes off. "That'd be fun."  
"No, it wouldn't." Karliah said, loving the time with her friend. "Although I will have to come back after the baby is born for my birthday. That'll be fun."  
"Oh definitely." Ashley smiled.

Karliah hugged her, wishing she could take her friends with her. Will and Ashley had been the only constant friends in her lifetime. She had had friends in school, but spoke with none of them after graduation had rolled around. She'd met Will one night at work. He was complaining about customer service, and Karliah told him she'd give him some coupons. She laughed, remembering how angry he was. Something so small turned into such a strong friendship for the two of them. Ashley had been introduced to her through Will, but the strength of the relationship between them was just as strong. She felt tears in her eyes, her heart hurting at the thought of leaving them.

"I'm gonna miss you guys." she said.  
"We know you will… And we'll miss you too… But you're a Momma now, and you gotta think about what is best for your baby. If staying here will kill you, it kills your baby. So…. It's kinda not an option. You have to go…."  
"I know… But it doesn't make it any easier."  
"Obviously." Ashley said, wiping Karliah's tears. "I love you."  
"I love you too."  
"We'll be here for you whenever you need us."  
"I know…" Karliah said, taking a deep breath to compose herself.

They turned to the door as it opened, Loki and Will stepping inside. Will looked somewhat alert, not looking Karliah in the eyes.

"Where were you guys?" Ashley asked.  
"Loki and I needed to discuss some things."  
"Well?"  
"Things that are no one else's business."  
"You can't keep secrets if they saved your life." Karliah said.  
"Don't challenge me." he said, still not looking at her.

Karliah knew Loki had gotten to him and now felt herself wanting to demand to know what was going on. She knew Loki would tell her later though, and that was enough for now. She looked at him.

"Are you ready then?" she asked.

Loki nodded. She looked around the room, then walked back to her old room. Loki followed her. When they were alone she looked at him.

"Do I want to know?" she asked.  
"No." he said.

She nodded, knowing he was feeling guilty about all of this. She sat on the bed, looking at picture on the bedstand. She, Will and Ashley all smiled, standing in front of Eifel Tower. She smiled, knowing she had been happy here, and that was enough for her. She accepted she'd lived a good life here, and that this was a part of her journey. This is what she wanted. She wanted a life with Loki. She wanted to live, to see her baby after it was born, to know it was ok and that she'd done a good job helping it grow inside her. She could stay. She could let herself die to be able to stay here, and the baby would live either way. She knew Loki would live here with her if she wanted him to, but if she did this, he'd be alone with the child after she was gone. She didn't wish this. She shook her head. She wanted to live. She looked to Loki.

"Are we a team?" she asked.  
"Yes." he said.  
"Are you ever going to leave me?"  
"Absolutely not."  
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Loki swallowed, knowing she was feeling doubtful about what was going on.

"You trust me." he said. "Just like I trust you."

She stood, walking over to him and touching his face. He closed his eyes, growing weak from her touch. He leaned into it slightly, enjoying the moment of affection. He felt her lips on his other cheek.

"I love you." he told her. "I love you."  
"I love you Loki…" she replied.  
"Trust me Karliah…. Please." he pleaded. "I need you."

Karliah looked up at him, seeing the desperation written on his face.

"Promise to never leave me." she told him.  
"Karliah, I promise." he said. She kissed his lips, feeling the love they had for each other come together. It was overwhelming for her to feel this, knowing she'd never felt it before for anyone else. It scared her to trust someone like this, to depend on someone else the way she was about to for the rest of her life. She needed him to survive in Asgard, she couldn't do it on her own. Would the Gods send her back to Earth if he no longer loved her or had use of her? What if the Gods sent her back after the baby was born, knowing she didn't belong there? Fear panged at her heart again and she pulled away from him, crying once more. He wiped her tears, letting the fear consume her. He let her feel it for a few seconds, then made her look at him. "No more…. No more tears."

"I'm sorry, I just am…. I'm terrified…"  
"I know you are… But it is not needed."  
"What if they kick me out after the baby is born? What if they take him away from me?"

Loki smiled, remembering how his mother also assumed the child was a boy.

"Him?" he asked her.  
"Yeah…" she said, smiling through her tears. "I figure it's a boy cuz then you'd have an heir to inherit things."  
"This does not effect anything."  
"I know." she laughed. "I just assume."

He smiled, feeling the jolt in his stomach to do what he had planned. He closed his eyes, his stomach turning yet again. She made him so nervous sometimes. He didn't understand it.

"I promise you will not have your child taken from you…." he said, touching her belly. "Our child."

She put her hand on his. He took a deep breath, pushing himself to tell her what he needed to tell her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, knowing he was struggling on the inside. "Talk to me…"  
"Karliah, I…. Today when I spoke with your father… I asked him a favor."  
"Oh God." she joked. "That's not good."

He smiled, not able to speak again. She touched his face.

"I… I asked him to give me something."  
"What?" she asked.  
"…You." he said.

She watched him, not sure what he meant.

"Me?"  
"I asked him…. I told him that I loved you… And that if he gave you to me that I would give him anything he wanted… I told him that all I wanted was you, either here or in Asgard."

Karliah couldn't help but smile. She liked the feeling of being loved.

"What did he want in return?" she asked.  
"He said he wanted you to be happy and if I didn't make you happy that he had a gun."

Karliah laughed. She had expected this answer, knowing her Dad often used this as an excuse for things.

"So he said you can have me?"  
"I feel like you misunderstand me when I say that he gave me you…"  
"What do you mean?"

Loki moved his hand, making a motion in the air, and holding his hand out, palm up. Karliah looked down at it, her face going blank. Her heart quickened as she understood what he meant now. She looked up at him, not knowing what he expected her to say. When he spoke, he said only two words. Words Karliah had never even dreamed of someone saying to her.

"Marry me."


	19. Shrouded In Love

Karliah stood there, awestruck by Loki's actions. She looked back down at his hand, the ring shining in the light. She picked it up. It was truly beautiful, unlike any ring she'd ever seen. She looked back up at him, smiling.

"Loki…" she managed to say. "I… Are you sure?"

Loki seemed to find this funny.

"Yes." he said. "I am sure."  
"But you're like… A prince."  
"So?"  
"Well I… Do I qualify for that?"  
"I seem to think so." he laughed.  
"I…" she said, catching her breath.  
"I wish for you to be my bride." he said, his voice smooth.

She looked into his eyes, feeling the flutter in her heart at the thought of being his for the rest of her life. She smiled.

"Yes." she said.

Loki smiled at her, happy that she accepted his offer. He knew though that the Gods would surely be surprised at his actions, seeing how much he has truly changed. He slipped the ring onto her finger, causing her to smile bigger as she looked down at it.

"Is this where you and Will were?" she asked. "Getting this?"  
"No." he said. "He and I were getting a drink to calm my nerves."

Karliah laughed with him.

"Ashley said that's where you guys were, I told her it wasn't true." she laughed. "Where did you get this then?"  
"I made it."  
"What?" she said, her smile still spread across her face. "How?"  
"Magic." he said, her smile growing contagiously on his own face.  
"Loki, it's beautiful." she said, admiring it's appearance. "I love it. Thank you."  
"You are very welcome." he said before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her lips against his. He knew she was happy, which made him feel a sense of accomplishment. He wanted nothing but happiness for her, even before her father demanded it of him. He held her, letting her enjoy the moment. Will had told him that women grew up dreaming of their weddings and how their lover would ask them to marry. He hadn't ever really spoken of this with her, but he knew she was happy with the events.

"Will you be in trouble for this?" she asked after pulling away from him.  
"Ah, my dear, you forget that I have my powers back. I am a free man, so to speak. I answer to no one but the Allfather."  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
"He will probably be skeptical about me marrying a mortal… But it is not his choice. I marry who I see fit and that is a freedom everyone in Asgard has."  
"What if I was like, a super poor person in Asgard?"  
"Poor?"  
"No money?"  
"There is no money is Asgard." he laughed. "But even then, I can marry who I please."  
"You seem proud of this." she said, noticing his arrogance in that statement.

He smiled.

"Perhaps I am." he said.  
"Well I hope you're ok settling for me." she replied, getting defensive of what belonged to her. "You're my God."

Loki loved her words. He loved knowing he belonged somewhere, that he wasn't an outcast in everyone's eyes. He knew she loved him and it made his heart melt. He kissed her gently. He took in the realization that this was the only woman he ever wanted. This was HIS mate. HIS lover, HIS wife. He would never want anyone else. He would never get enough of her. He looked into her eyes, seeing everything he'd ever wanted in front of him. He didn't realize he was crying until Karliah wiped the tears from his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.  
"Nothing." he said. "Absolutely nothing…"

He kissed her again. The happiness was uncontrollable.

* * *

Loki felt Karliah shifting in his arms, her soft skin pleasing against his own. He looked down at her. She was perfect to him. Her pale skin matched his own as she slept in his arms. He covered her with the sheet. Her breaths were steady and calm, unlike moments ago when they were making love. He felt himself growing tired as he thought about the day's events. He and Karliah had agreed to stay for the night, wishing to simply rest while they could. She wanted one more night here, and he understood. He kissed her head as he looked at the hand that was resting on his chest. The ring shined on her finger, causing him to smile. She was his. He had found his companion, his one person in life that would love him unconditionally. She loved him even when she knew that he was a murderer. Even when she saw his true Frost Giant form, she was not afraid of him. He kissed her again, feeling helpless as he lay there, shrouded in love.

His eyes finally grew too heavy for him to keep open, and he fell asleep next to his future bride.

* * *

**Sorry so short guys. I honestly don't know why I made it so short, I'm not done writing for the night. :P Guess it's cuz I just feel like it. Anyways, enjoy and please don't forget to rate and review! Thanks guys!**


	20. Announcements

Loki woke up as he felt Karliah moving in his arms. He looked down at her, meeting her gaze. She smiled softly, recalling last night's events. He smiled back, kissing her head. She stretched out, her body quivering for a moment.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, stretching out his own body.  
"Ok." she replied, sitting up.

He looked at her bare back as it was now exposed to him. He touched her shoulder blades, making her straighten at his touch. He rubbed her back for a moment, moans escaping from her occasionally. He sat up and kissed her shoulder, letting his hand stop it's work. She kissed his lips.

"Thank you." she said sleepily.  
"Anything for you my dear."

She smiled at him then got out of the bed. He felt himself hardening at the sight of her naked body walking around the room to gather her clothes. She seemed to notice he was staring at her, cuz she cleared her throat to yank him from his thoughts.

"Take is easy, darling." she said, pulling her underwear up around her waist.

He took a deep breath and looked away from her.

"You don't allow it to be easy." he said, getting himself out of the bed now.

He watched a smile creep across her face at the sight of him.

"I know the feeling." she said.  
"Easy." he taunted, his clothes forming onto his body.  
"I wish I could do that." she frowned, pulling her shirt on over her head.

He smiled.

"Mortals…" he said.  
"Hey, don't start." she said. "I have my own perks."

He watched her walk over to the door.

"That you do." he mumbled.

She shook her head, leading him out to the living room. Will and Ashley were sprawled out on the couch, causing Karliah to laugh.

"They don't look comfortable, I don't know why they don't sleep somewhere else."  
"Did they drink last night?" Loki asked.  
"Oh probably. It's rare for them not to." she said, opening the refidgerator.  
"I am aware." he said, smiling at the thought of his first night here. He wondered if he and Karliah would have found what they see in each other if they hadn't have gotten drunk that night. "Do you think we would have fallen for one another if we hadn't drank together?"

Karliah looked at him, smiling. He knew she was now reminiscing.

"Probably."  
"Why?"  
"Cuz not even the God of love could stop what I feel for you… It was just inevitable." she said, finding humor at the way she sounded. "I just believe we were meant to love each other."

Loki liked this way of thinking. He knew that it would be hard to separate the two of them. She had stood up to the Council of Gods and the Allfather himself to make sure Loki was able to go home. He watched her drink the milk out of the carton, knowing Ashley would be upset if she saw it.

"I am going to miss this place." he admitted.  
"You are?"  
"Yes." he said. "I like it here."  
"I wonder what you would've done if I had stoop up to you when you were trying to take over the world…."

Loki couldn't help but ponder this statement. He honestly did not know what he would've done, but whatever it was, she probably would have died. He shook his head, ashamed of the man he used to be. The old man that had stood up to him when he was in Germany surely would be dead if the soldier hadn't stepped in front of him at that moment. He imagined Karliah there, wondering if she would have even kneeled at his command. He smiled, knowing full well that she wouldn't have. He laughed at the thought of Will and Ashley being there, knowing Will would have been complaining about how rude Loki was being. Karliah looked at him.

"What?" she questioned.  
"You three would have certainly disliked me then."  
"Yeah?"  
"I can just imagine…" he said, looking at his feet.  
"Are there any memories you can show me?"  
"Memories?" he said, looking up at her. "Why would you want to see those…"  
"I don't know. Curiosity I guess…"  
"I feel like you would not like what you would see."

Karliah looked at him sympathetically. He figured if ever wanted to know, that was a good way to test whether or not her love was truly not going to falter, but he had no interest of doing it now. He watched her walk over to the couch and kiss Will's head as he slept. She did the same to Ashley, then went and put her shoes on. She looked up at Loki.

"Ready?" she asked.  
"Yes." he said, looking at Will and Ashley. "Good bye, my friends."

He walked over to Karliah, following her out the door.

* * *

Loki and Karliah walked across the field, finding the marks on the ground from when they arrived here. Loki looked up at the sky.

"Heimdall. We need to go back now." he said, his arm around Karliah's waist.

He felt himself being lifted as the Bifrost opened to them. After a few moments, all he saw was golden walls, and he and Karliah were back in Asgard. He let go of her, letting her walk on her own now. They walked down the Bifrost, and he smiled at his home in front of him. He looked at Karliah, noticing her face was paler than normal. He knew she was going to be sick and he stopped her, letting her sit for a moment.

"I'm sorry." he said.  
"It's normal…" she replied before she hurled. When she was done he summoned water for her, which she seemed to be amazed by. She drank gratefully. "Thank you…. I'm sorry."

He smiled.

"It's normal, remember?" he laughed.

She laughed too and he helped her back up to her feet.

"It's gross though." she admitted.  
"Perhaps we should not engage in our pleasures after the child is born then?" he said.  
"I don't think that'll be possible to deny." she laughed.

They laughed together as they walked slowly down the bridge. When they got to the castle, guards bowed to them. Loki found humor when she bowed back, but knew she would not stop if he tried telling her to. She was enjoying herself and he would allow this. He led her into the throne room, bowing to Odin as they approached him. Frigga was in the room aswell.

"Allfather." he said, raising his head.  
"My son." Odin replied. "Are the affairs in Midgard set to her liking?"  
"They are." Loki said.  
"Then she is now proclaimed a citizen of Asgard."  
"Thank you sir." Karliah said, bowing again. "I am honored."  
"We need to discuss the events of the childbirth." Odin said to Loki. "After the child is born, what is her plan of action?"  
"She is a citizen of Asgard, she will live here."  
"The Council of Gods will need to decide this."  
"Well, I've actually thought this over, and they will not be needed in that decision."

Odin seemed to know Loki was up to something; Karliah could see the look Odin was giving him.

"How do you mean, Loki?" he asked.  
"I, Loki Laufeyson, have chosen a wife." he announced.

Frigga smiled, stepping forward and hugging her son. Odin, however, like Loki had said he would, looked skeptical.

"A mortal?" he said.  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"I love her, and I want nothing more than to be hers."

Odin seemed to like this answer, his stern look softening.

"You have truly changed." he said.  
"I am so proud of you." Frigga told him. She looked to Karliah, hugging her aswell.  
"When is the ceremony to be held?"  
"We have not decided yet."  
"We will need to know this."  
"Of course, Allfather." Loki said.

He bowed, turning to leave the room. Karliah did the same, following Loki out to the hallway. She saw a group of five people walking towards them happily. Thor and Sif were among them.

"My brother, you have returned." Thor said, hugging Loki.

Karliah laughed at the sight of it. Thor's big arms made Loki look so small. Sif hugged Karliah, much to her own surprise. She hugged her back though, accepting the kindness that was shown to her.

"It is good to see you again." she told her.  
"You too." Karliah smiled.  
"Brother." Thor said after letting Loki go. "What news do you bring us?"  
"We are settled to live here in Asgard now."  
"Good." Thor said, smiling broadly. "This is good."  
"And will you be staying here aswell?" Sif asked Karliah.  
"My friends… This is my new bride." Loki said, stepping closer to Karliah.

His friends seemed even more shocked now, looking from her to him silently.

"Loki." Thor said finally. "Brother… You have asked for her hand?"  
"I have."  
"Congratulations!" Thor said, putting his hand on Loki's shoulder.

Loki smiled, seemingly proud of himself. Karliah looked at the three men she'd never seen before. Sif noticed this, and introduced them.

"These are our other friends, the Warriors Three. Volstagg, Fandrel, and Hogun." she said.

Two of the men bowed while the other stepped forward. He grabbed Karliah's hand and kissed it.

"The pleasure is mine." he said charmingly.  
"Fandrel, you cannot speak to her that way." Thor said sternly. "Loki has claimed her."  
"Forgive me." he smiled, not looking away from Karliah.  
"If you don't stop looking at her like that Loki will be the one asking forgiveness after he sends your soul to Hades." Volstagg joked.

Karliah laughed, looking at Loki. He smiled too, knowing it was all in good fun.

"This is Karliah." he told them.  
"Nice to meet you." Volstagg said, bowing to her.  
"It is nice to meet you." Hogun told her, bowing aswell.

She bowed back, causing them to laugh slightly.

"So you guys are all friends of Loki's then?"  
"We are all friends. We grew up with Thor and Loki." Sif explained.  
"Well it's very nice to meet all of you." Karliah replied.

Loki admired the way Karliah accepted his friends, knowing she would fit in with them beautifully after she got more comfortable living in Asgard.

Karliah and Loki walked out of the dining hall, full from their meals they had had with their family. Loki took her hand as they walked down the hallway.

"The sky is so pretty at night." she told him. "Asgard is beautiful."  
"You're more beautiful than any of Asgard." he replied, making her smile.  
"I like it here Loki." she admitted. "I like knowing your family after you've known mine for so long."  
"I am glad they please you."  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"Anything."  
"Sif… You grew up with her…. Did you-"  
"No."

Karliah looked at him.

"I didn't even finish my question."  
"You are wondering if we ever grew fondly of each other. The answer is no."  
"Never?"  
"Not once. She was more Thor's mate than she was ever mine."  
"Are they married?"

Loki laughed.

"No." he said. "He loves a mortal woman."  
"Interesting." Karliah said. "Are there any girls I should be worried about?"  
"Worried? No. Are there some you may not wish to meet…. Yes."  
"Who?"

Loki sighed, knowing she would get defensive when the maidens in Asgard would come to her and speak of him after hearing their news of marriage.

"There is a woman here, she is a very nice person, but she will become very protective of me… Her name is Sigyn…"  
"Sigyn? Is she a goddess?"  
"Goddess of Fidelity."  
"So she's like that annoying ex that won't go away?"

Loki laughed.

"I would say that is accurate." he said as he nodded.  
"Should I be worried?"

His smile went away quickly as he stopped and turned to her. She knew it made him mad that she had asked.

"I love you and only you." he said. "I have no interest in her."  
"Ok." Karliah said, not wishing to argue. "Does she bother you often?"  
"She hadn't before everything broke out that caused me to leave this place, but I know she will as soon as she knows I have a wife."  
"You don't yet." Karliah smiled as they continued walking.  
"A week." Loki said.  
"What?"  
"In a week, we should hold the ceremony."  
"Is it always that fast here?"  
"Is it not on Earth?" he asked.  
"Depends, I guess." Karliah said.  
"What is the point in waiting if you've said yes to the offer?"

Karliah agreed with this statement, knowing that whether it happened in a day or in a month, she'd feel the same. She smiled.

"A week." she said.

* * *

**Hey so I hope you guys enjoyed the posts for tonight. I will do my best for more tomorrow, if not, definitely the next day. Thanks guys and don't forget to rate and review!**


	21. Festivities

**First off, I would just like to announce happily that I am officially over 500 views on my story! Thank you to all the people who have taken the time to read and thank you to the people who have stuck with it up until now! It means the world to me! Second, this is the last chapter for the night, there will be more tomorrow. I love you guys, and please, don't forget to rate and review!**

* * *

Karliah woke up the next morning to the sun shining bright on her face. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up to look at the view she had out the window. _Wow,_ she thought. _I am so lucky_. She smiled, looking down at Loki's sleeping body. He was so handsome, just laying there in all his glory. She shook her head, not wanting to start anything again this morning after the night they had shared together. She got up, stretching our her body. She wanted to go to the stables again, missing her horse. She knew he would be trailered today, going to a new home that Karliah had never seen before. She felt nervous, not wishing him to go to a home that she didn't trust.

She looked through her wardrobe, picking out a dress for the day. After slipping it she brushed through her hair, putting it up in a braid for a change. She laughed at herself, remembering how she learned to French braid. She had wanted to plait Scout's tail once, and learned how to that way. She pushed her thoughts of home away, not wanting it to be a day of sadness. She was happy. She had a home now, one that she knew was hers forever, a fiancé that loved her and accepted her for who she was. She smiled back at Loki, who was still sleeping in a tangled mess of sheets. She was a mother. She smiled as she remembered this. She felt her belly, wishing she could feel the baby move back in response to her. Soon, she told herself, knowing that it wouldn't be too long until it would move inside her.

She walked to the door, looking back to Loki once more before she left. She walked down the hallway, still needing to think about where she was in terms of the castle. She found the staircase, walking down it to the guards that were by the doors. They bowed, as usual. She bowed back, leaving the castle after they opened the doors for her. She smiled at Asgard, it's beauty still new to her. She shook her head, amazed that something like this has existed so long without anyone on Earth knowing it. It was truly magnificent. She walked slowly down the stairs, taking in the surrounding buildings. She could smell fresh bread, and hear children laughing. She wondered if they were the same children from before or if there were many that lived around here. Would they grow up to be Gods or were they already proclaimed as so? Perhaps they weren't meant to be Gods and simply lived here among them like she did.

Her thoughts of this left her as she entered the horse stables, taking in the familiar smell of the animals that she had loved her whole life. She walked over to the horse with eight legs that she'd seen last time she had been in the stables. She pet it, trying so hard to not think of her own. She wondered if they would let her have a horse here. She looked for a latch on the stall, wishing to get closer to the animal. Just as her fingers touched it, she heard a soft voice object.

"I wouldn't do that."

Karliah looked over, spooked from the sudden sound. The woman standing there was downright gorgeous. She had golden hair, he smile soft and calming. She wore a white dress with gold lacing it everywhere. She wore golden hair pieces, complimenting her appearance all the more. Karliah smiled at her.

"I'm sorry." she said.  
"Do not apologize." the woman replied, stepping forward. Karliah noticed how blue her eyes were. She was completely beautiful. "Sleipnir is a very gentle beast, but he is loyal to only the Allfather."

Karliah looked at the horse, then back to the woman.

"Most horses ARE only loyal to their owners." she replied, thinking of how much trust she shared with her own. Again, she pushed the thoughts out of her mind. "Are you here to take care of him?"

The woman smiled, her teeth perfectly lined and white. She pet the horse, then looked at Karliah again.

"No." she said. "I am not."  
"Oh… Am I not supposed to be in here?" Karliah asked.  
"My lady?"  
"Well these aren't MY stables, I just didn't know if I was allowed to be in here."  
"These stables belong to the royal family, you are allowed anywhere you wish to be in Asgard."

Karliah then knew who this woman was. Her heart dropped as she realized that this woman was who Loki warned Karliah of. This was Sigyn. She smiled at Karliah, causing her to shift uncomfortably.

"I uh… I should go." Karliah said.  
"I actually had come to meet you, my lady." Sigyn said.  
"Oh." Karliah said, trying to stay polite. This was, afterall, a Goddess and she shouldn't be rude just because of Loki. "I'm Karliah."  
"Karliah." she said, smiling. "I am Sigyn."  
"You're the Goddess of Fidelity, then?"

Sigyn seemed to scan her for more of an explaination.

"Loki has told you about me." she concluded.  
"He has."  
"I'm sure he had some interesting things to say about me… But I assure you, I am not all bad."  
"He had just told me I wouldn't enjoy meeting you."

Sigyn looked hurt, but seemed to understand.

"I apologize if my presence displeases you then."  
"It doesn't."  
"So you are his mortal then?"  
"I guess if that's how you wish to put it, then yeah. I am."  
"I see."

Karliah could see that Sigyn was humored by this, making her feel defensive. Perhaps Loki was right.

"Well, I guess I will belong to him after the ceremony." Karliah retorted.  
"I thought Loki was already dismissed." Sigyn said, her smile fading somewhat.  
"Oh no, not with the council. With me."  
"My lady?"  
"We're getting married. Loki asked me yesterday."

Sigyn looked disturbed for a moment, then smiled.

"I offer my congratulations." she said with great difficulty.

Karliah knew this was news to her.

"Thank you." she replied. "I should go. It was nice meeting you."

Sigyn bowed as Karliah left. As soon as she was outside the stables, Karliah felt herself relax slightly. She walked down a path she'd never seen before, the walkway paved in gold. She reached down to touch it, never before seeing such a thing. It was smooth on her fingertips, and she smiled. She looked around, hearing the children closer to her than before. She looked around the corner, seeing them running around together. She smiled and noticed the little girl that had given her the pendant.

"Karliah!" she heard behind her, making her jump as she turned around.

She saw the Warriors Three approaching her. She smiled at the familiar faces.

"Are you lost?" Volstagg asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.  
"Oh I'm just wandering." she said. "Where are you guys headed?"  
"Training." Hogun said.  
"For what?"  
"Just practice."  
"Could I tag along?"

They laughed, but agreed that she could go. She went with them, being led to a training ground. She saw people training, all over the place. She smiled, knowing these were more Gods. She saw Tyr, one of the council Gods, fighting the beautiful Goddess Freya, another one from the council.

"Who is first?" Volstagg said, lifting the battle axe off of his back.  
"I suppose." Fandral said, drawing his sword.

They moved into position to fight each other, then when they were ready, took to practicing their skills. Karliah watched them fight, amazed at their abilities. She smiled at them as they jokingly sparred with each other, wondering if Loki ever did this with them. She suddenly wanted him there to see his abilities. She knew he had magic, but what else did he use to fight?

"Do you have any special attributes?" Hogun asked her.  
"Um… No." she said, wishing she did.  
"How will you defend yourself if you need to?"  
"Call Loki." she said.  
"What if that does not always work?"  
"I… I don't know."  
"The lady cannot protect herself?" Fandral asked asfter they were done sparring. "I will protect her."

Karliah laughed.

"Loki has her well protected, I promise you." Volstagg told him.  
"She should have her own way of protecting herself." Hogun said.  
"What are you proposing?" Fandral asked him.  
"We should teach her to fight." Hogun said, looking at her.  
"I'm pregnant." she told him. "I can't fight."

He smiled, seeming to think she was joking.

"Mortals are so worried for their young…" he said. "You have a God within you. You will not harm it."

Karliah looked to the others, who did not object to the statement. She shrugged.

"If you promise I'm safe, then sure…" she said hesitantly.  
"Pick your weapon." Volstagg said, walking her over to a table.

Laid out for her use were at least a hundred different weapons. She looked at them in awe, not knowing how she'd use half of them.

"How do I get magic?" she asked, thinking of Loki yet again.  
"You don't get it. He was born with it." Volstagg said, knowing why she asked. "You are not."  
"Ok…" she said, looking around. One weapon in particular caught her eye. She smiled, grabbing the matching daggers. She picked up a few little black balls, wondering if they would aide her later. "What now?"

She held the daggers awkwardly, noticing how heavy they were. She had never held a weapon like these before, and had always imagined they wouldn't weigh much.

"You'll need armor, but we can get this for you later." Hogun said. "Come over here, we will teach you how to use these."

* * *

Karliah swung her arm down, hitting Hogun's weapon. It fell from his hand from the force she brought to it. She smiled, knowing she'd won the spar. She heard Volstagg and Fandral clapping, and she looked to them. Her stomach lurched at the sight of Loki standing next to them. He held his hands behind his back, standing straight and watching her walk to him. She smiled, putting the daggers in the belt they had given her to sheath them in.

"Hi." she said.  
"I see you have taken it upon yourself to learn to fight." he replied.  
"They talked me into it."  
"Remember they are not Gods."  
"Right. Gods are stronger."  
"Doesn't mean we can't give her a challenge." Fandral told him.  
"I agree, friend." Loki said, stepping out to where Karliah and Hogun just were. Karliah smiled after he held his hand out to her. "After you, my dear."  
"You want me to fight you?" she asked. "I don't wanna hurt you-"  
"I assure you you will not be hurting me." he laughed. This made her feel challenged. She walked over to him, pulling her daggers back out of the belt. "Don't hold back."

Karliah took a deep breath, then swung her arm forward, immediately missing him as he evaded her attack. She tried again, missing another time. A few more times this happened. Loki smiled at her frustration.

"Stop trying to hit me, you have to get a hold of me first." he told her.

She threw one of the daggers at him, causing him to duck. She lunged towards him at this moment, grabbing a hold of his shoulders. She tried raising her dagger to him but he caught her arm. She looked at him, his eyes making her calm for a moment. He smirked. She knew he was using his magic, distracting her from what she was trying to do. She kicked him away from her, his smile going away. She watched as his duplicates surrounded her. She looked around, trying to find a way to see the real one. She heard him laugh, the duplicates echoing his voice. She threw down the little ball she'd picked up while choosing her daggers, a cloud of black smoke erupting from it. She ran, getting away from his holograms. She heard him cough and she lunged into the smoke, grabbing him and forcing him down to the ground. He was strong, but unsuspecting. She pinned him down, and he smiled. She'd won.

"Satisfied?" she asked, letting go of him.

He sat up, catching his breath.

"Perhaps. I took it easy on you though, know that."

She laughed.

"I'm sure you did." she said, helping him up.  
"You have learned well so far." he told her.  
"Brother what is going on here?!" they heard.

They walked over to Thor, who looked less than pleased.

"They are teaching me to fight." Karliah said.  
"They are letting you spar against Gods, this is unwise."  
"I'm fine."  
"You are not strong enough if they were to hurt you."  
"I'm fine, Thor."

He sighed.

"You don't understand."  
"Fight me, I'll show you what I've learned."

Thor laughed as Loki made her look at him.

"No." he said.  
"Why not?" she smiled. "It'll be fun."  
"Thor is strong."  
"So are you."  
"I will not fight you, mortal." Thor said. "Perhaps later, when you are not in such a delicate condition."

Karliah wanted to challenge him further, but Loki spoke over her, not wanting her to engage in a battle with Thor.

"Brother, where is Sif?" he asked, his clever mind quickly changing the subject.  
"She is in training today."  
"For what?" Loki asked.

Thor looked at the others, then back to Loki, not answering the question.

"Why is she training?" Fandral asked, not accepting Thor's silence. "She is the Goddess of War, she does not need-"  
"She is going to Svartalfheim."

Karliah looked around, not sure what this meant. The others were silent though, and she knew this was not a good thing.

"Why?" Hogun asked.  
"We have business with the Svartalfar." Thor replied.

Karliah looked at Loki as Thor argued with the warriors about Sif's safety.

"What does that mean?" she asked.  
"Svartalfar are elves. They are nasty creatures that play tricks on one's mind for their own benefit." Loki replied. He saw the smile creep across her mouth. "I am different."  
"I didn't say a word." she laughed. "I just am reminded of you in that comment."  
"They are nasty." he said again, and she saw that he was serious with the statement.  
"Will she die there?" she asked.  
"I do not wish to dwell on that." he replied, looking away from her.

* * *

Karliah entered the dining hall, looking out at the crowd of people that had gathered to celebrate Loki's engagement. She had expressed her concern for this, not wishing to be the center of attention. He insisted that she did it though, as a pleasantry. She had agreed after he told her some maids would dress her up like a princess. She didn't know why, but she loved the thought of it. What little girl didn't grow up wanting to be a princess someday?

She loved her dress, the emerald standing out amongst all the gold everyone was wearing. She was yanked from her thoughts of entering quietly though, as a guard announced her presence.

"My Gods and Goddesses, Lady Karliah, Loki's betrothed." he said, bowing to her.

They gave her an applause, and she smiled at them nervously. She saw Loki moving forward, smiling at the sight of her. He offered his arm to her as she stepped further into the room. She took it, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

"You look beautiful." he told her as they walked about the hall together.  
"Thank you." she replied, her heart racing. "Who are all these people?"  
"These are all of the Gods of Asgard."  
"Wow." she breathed, feeling herself growing sick. "Can I leave now?"  
"No." he laughed, making her look at him. "What frightens you my dear?"  
"I don't know, I just feel like I'll do something that makes them think I'm not good enough."  
"You are strong, remember this? You have never cared what others thought of you, why are you starting now?" he asked. "It is a most inconvenient time."

She laughed, knowing he was trying to get her to do so.

"What if they hate you for choosing the wrong person?"  
"You have nothing to prove to them. I do what I please, with any women I please." he smirked. He closed his eyes, catching himself after a bad choice of words. They laughed. "That is not what I meant."  
"Better not be." she said, her smile lingering on her face. "Speaking of which… Is she here?"  
"Yes." Loki said, his smile fading. "I have yet to speak to her though."  
"Why?"  
"I wanted to wait for you." he replied.  
"I met her earlier."  
"What?" He looked very concerned now. "When?'  
"Today. She was very…. Surprised to hear about us."  
"Did you tell her about the baby?"  
"No."

Loki sighed, looking around the room.

"She knows." he said.  
"How?"  
"She would have done her digging to know what is happening with me."  
"She really does sound like a crazy ex." Karliah said, laughing slightly.  
"Trust me, she is." Loki said, pulling her along with him.

Karliah walked with him, being introduced to different Gods and Goddesses along the way. She knew he was trying to evade being found, but it did not work. She saw Sigyn walking towards them. She felt herself growing defensive, as if she needed to protect what was hers.

"Karliah." Sigyn smiled, pulling her into a hug. Karliah hugged her back, seeing Loki becoming agitated quickly in the corner of her eye. "You look so lovely this evening!"  
"Thank you." Karliah said. "You too."  
"Loki, nice to see you again."  
"Yes." he said simply.

Sigyn looked back to Karliah, ignoring his anger.

"How is your evening going so far?" she asked.  
"It's alright, I've met some cool people so far." Sigyn laughed at the way Karliah spoke. "You?"  
"My night has been enjoyable." she replied, holding up her glass. "They have brought the most delectable foods for us."  
"I wish I could drink." Karliah laughed, looking at the glass of wine.  
"Well order a glass, it is your right." Sigyn said.  
"I can't." Karliah said, glancing at Loki, then back to Sigyn.  
"Do you not hold your drinks well?" she joked.  
"No, I'm pregnant."

Sigyn's face seemed to change, but she smiled through her irritation.

"Oh I couldn't tell."  
"It's still new to us."  
"Congratulations." she said, looking around the room. "I must go, my lady. I hope you enjoy your evening."

She bowed, walking away from Karliah and Loki. She looked up at him as he stared down at her. He cracked a smile, knowing she was proud of herself.

"You did not have to do that." he told her, popping food into his mouth.  
"She has a right to know." Karliah said. "Where did you get those?"

Loki held chocolates in his hand now. He looked down at them, knowing she would take one.

"I took them from the servant." he said, smiling at how she snatched one from his palm. "Hungry?"  
"Do you know how long it's been since I've had chocolate?" she asked, letting the chocolate melt on her tongue. It was so sweet. She had never tasted anything so good before.  
"Mortals." he scoffed.

Karliah enjoyed herself, spending the evening getting to know the people Loki had grown up with. Many of the Gods seemed to be interested in her, knowing she was the mortal who "tamed" Loki. She couldn't help but to feel proud of herself, walking around on Loki's arm and being introduced as his bride. At one point, he had left her alone with some Goddesses and they insisted on telling her that she was lucky to have won his heart because he was a handsome God. With them was Freya, the Goddess that caused Karliah to question her sexual preference. She enjoyed her time with the women, loving that she was accepted among them.

After the night was over, Loki and Karliah walked together to their chambers, laughing about the small things that had pleased them during the festivities. She knew this was her life now, enjoying nights like this with her soon-to-be husband. She didn't mind though, especially after they had gotten back to their room.


	22. Consummation

Loki paced back and forth in the dining hall. He heard the door open, but did not look up. His mind was racing. He didn't know how to keep himself occupied from his nerves.

"Loki." He jumped at the sound of his brother's voice. He looked up at him, not knowing what he to say or what Thor had wanted in the first place. "Are you alright, brother? You do not look well."  
"How long?"

Thor smiled at him, causing him to grow agitated.

"You are thinking twice about this?"  
"No." Loki said, stepping towards him. "I am not. I just… I am…"

Thor put his hand on Loki's shoulder.

"She is ready." he said. Loki felt his stomach turn. Thor laughed at him, knowing he was nervous. "Come brother."

Loki walked silently beside his brother. Thor looked at him along the way.

"Are you sure about this brother?"  
"I have never been more sure of anything."  
"Why are you scared?"

Loki looked at him, then back down to the floor.

"It is hard for me."  
"Why?" Thor laughed. "You have always been able to have any maiden you wanted, how is marrying one of them different?"

Loki stopped, looking at him.

"It is not like that. I love her."  
"I know, brother."  
"She is not some random maiden I have taken for my own pleasures." Loki sneered. "I am doing this because I want to marry her, I want to have this with her-"  
"Brother." Thor stopped him. "You would not be scared if there wasn't something to be scared of, you are smarter than that."  
"I am scared, Thor, because this is one of the most public ways to announce your love for another, and these Gods that will watch are the same people that shunned me from Asgard because I was nothing but a heartless wretch."

Thor looked sympathetic.

"You act like feelings are a bad thing to have."  
"After all this time I've been saying that, I go against my own thoughts and feel something anyways. It makes me feel like they are laughing in my face because I was wrong."  
"Loki, everyone makes mistakes." Thor said. "This is your day, you mustn't let yourself feel this way now. You shall be happy with her today."

Loki thought of Karliah. How she would look in her dress, walking forward to give her hand to him, a symbol for everyone watching that she belonged to him, and no other man in Asgard could touch her. Not even this really got to him though. It wasn't until he thought of how he would have her forever that he felt tears welling up in his eyes. He smiled, unable to stop himself from feeling the flutters in his chest. He looked up at Thor.

"I am happy." he replied. "I am truly happy."  
"I feel things are finally back to how they were before I was banished." Thor smiled. "I have my brother back, and we are home…. And you are happy. I want nothing more than this.  
"You approve of her then?" Loki asked.  
"I approve." Thor replied.

Loki smiled with his brother, enjoying the nostalgic feeling of when they were kids, laughing about small things and talking about pointless subjects. This was not pointless though, and Loki knew that. He was glad his family accepted Karliah.

"Let us go." Thor said, opening the door to the throne room.

They walked in, the entire hall of Gods bowing to them. They bowed in return, then walked up to the throne where the Allfather sat. He stood, looking down at his sons.

"Loki, you are to proclaim your devotion to this woman, in front of the Council of Gods and the others that have gathered to support you in your decisions as Prince of Asgard." Odin said.  
"I accept this." Loki replied.  
"Then let us begin."

The doors opened again. Loki looked back, catching his breath at the sight that he saw. Karliah nervously walked across the room, her dress flowing behind her. Her hair was plain, nothing special done to it. It fell down her back elegantly, the brown shining in the light. She held her hands nervously down at her sides. Loki smiled. Even in her simplicity, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on. He felt his heart race as she stopped next to him, smelling the fragrance she wore. She smiled at him, her hand finding his.

"Citizens of Asgard. I, Odin Allfather, have gathered you all here today upon the request of your Prince, Loki. He has claimed this woman to be his wife, and they shall be wed here today." he said loudly. He looked to Karliah. "Do you have any objections to your Prince?"  
"No. I don't." Karliah smiled.  
"Then let us hear your pledge to him, if you have no objection."

Karliah looked to Loki, her smile wide across her face.

"I vow to stand by you, and to honor you as my husband." she told him, remembering the words the maidservant had went over with her as she prepared herself for the wedding. "I vow to never leave your side and to be faithful to you. I belong to no other man or woman, and I pledge this for the rest of my life."

Loki could hear her voice shaking, knowing this was emotional for her. He felt himself getting emotional with her, feeling the happiness swell in his chest.

"And you, my son." Odin said, looking at Loki.

Loki repeated these words to her, seeing tears in her eyes as he did so. Odin stepped down from his throne, stopping just in front of Karliah.

"Kneel, and I will proclaim you his wife and Princess of this royal family."

Karliah did so, putting her arm across her chest.

"I, Odin Allfather, pronounce you, Karliah, Wife of Loki Laufeyson, and Princess of Asgard. Your duties as Princess do not exceed any other royal family member, although the citizens of Asgard will treat you with the same amount of respect they treat anyone else in the house of Odin." He touched her shoulder. "Rise."

Karliah stood up, looking at the Allfather.

"This ceremony is complete." he announced. "Let us celebrate the joining of my son and his new wife with drinks and song."

Loki and Karliah smiled at each other. He took her by the waist, kissing her lips passionately for the hall to see. When they came apart she was crying, a smile permanenty etched on her face. They turned to the hall of Gods as they clapped for them.

* * *

Karliah laughed with her new friends, enjoying the evening as it went by. She had become fast friends with Freya, Goddess of Love, and two of her followers, Essa and Amma. They had spent time eating and drinking, with the exception of Karliah, who only drank juice. Loki had been spending the evening with his brother and the Warriors, drinking and laughing about meaningless things. He had kept an eye on her, making sure she was having a fun time, but let her mingle with the Gods in order to make new friends.

"There are so many fare maidens here tonight." Fandral said, sighing as he looked around at the crowd. "Perhaps I should indulge."  
"On that note, I must excuse myself for a moment." Loki said, leaving his friends to their mindless chatter. He walked out into the hallway, but knew he was not alone. He turned to see Sigyn there, her arms folded across her chest.  
"My prince." she said. "Enjoying your evening?"  
"What do you want?" he asked, knowing she was here for a reason.  
"Why are you doing this Loki?"  
"Doing what?"  
"Playing house with this mortal."  
"You know not what you speak about."  
"I do know, and I know well."  
"I would never do to her what I have done to you."  
"I am a God." Sigyn spat. "I know you Laufeyson, and I know you don't feel anything for her but one thing."  
"Lust is not love."  
"Remember that when you bed your new wife tonight."

Loki felt himself getting angry, as he did anytime she tried talking to him. She had been a friend in his past, one that he shared nights with. It hadn't lasted though, after Loki had realized he could have more than her. He had told her that she was meaningless to him, and he did not want her, resulting in losing her as a friend. He knew it had hurt her at the time, but it did not stop her from trying to persuade him to come back to her later on. Part of him understood this, as she was the God of Fidelity, and she was devoted to the man that took her virginity. She had taken his aswell, but this did not change Loki's annoyance of her.

"You will watch how you speak to your prince."  
"Right." Sigyn said, nodding. "I should."  
"You will respect her."  
"Respect is gained-"  
"Not to her. You will respect her or you will face consequences. You and I did have something in the past, but it was a childish time, and I do not want you any longer. I will tell you this until it seeps through your skull." Loki sneered. "You do not have to respect me, but you will leave her alone."

He pushed past her, joining the crowd once again. His heart raced at the thought of pushing his feelings out in the open so easily. He took a deep breath as Thor drug him back over to his friends. He allowed himself to smile, trying to forget about Sigyn.

* * *

"I have a surprise for you." Loki said as he and Karliah walked down the hallway to their room.  
"What is it?"  
"You'll see."

He stopped her at the door, pulling her into a kiss. He could feel that she was growing impatient, knowing what would happen when they were in the room. He took advantage of this, drawing out the kiss to tease her. She managed to pull away finally, smiling up at him.

"Stop that." she told him. "You're teasing me."  
"I am quite away of that." he replied. He scooped her up into his arms. She laughed and hung onto him tightly. "Ready?"  
"Don't drop me." she giggled.

He smiled, opening the door to reveal the room he had changed for her. Her mouth hung open as he sat her down on the floor in the room. There were flower petals everywhere. She looked over at the privy. She smiled at him, and he knew what she wanted. He shed the armor off of himself, leaving only his pants on. She smiled even more, walking over to the wardrobe. He walked into the privy, drawing a bath for them. He kneeled, touching the water. He felt his skin prickle at the heat, then heard footsteps. He looked up at Karliah, who was in the privy with him now. He felt his body awaken at the sight of her in her lingerie. He smirked, standing up straight. Even something as simple as her preparing the towels was so gripping to him.

He walked up behind her, kissing her shoulder. Her breathing was choppy, and he knew she was aroused. Just the anticipation of him was enough to give her a heart attack. He felt her shaking slightly underneath his touch, and he smiled.

"You are nervous." he told her.  
"I don't know why."  
"Are you frightened?"  
"No." she said, turning to him.  
"You are my wife." he said smoothly.  
"I know I am." she smiled, kissing him slowly.

Her tongue explored his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing himself against her. She shuddered as his hands wandered down her sides, one of them running over her ass. She pulled out of the kiss, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry." she said.  
"For what?"  
"Being nervous."

He smiled, kissing her gently. He took her over to the tub, walking behind her. He let his fingertips slowly move to the bottom of her gown, pulling it up over her head. He kissed her bare back, feeling goose bumps growing on her skin. He let his hand wander on her stomach as the other toyed with the lining of her underwear. Her head fell back on his shoulder, wishing he'd stop teasing her. He let his hand reach down, just enough to feel her wetness, then retreated back to her stomach. She groaned. He smiled, pulling the fabric down off of her hips. She stepped out of them, allowing him to look at her naked body. His erection grew harder.

He watched her dip her toes in the water, then slowly sink the rest of her body in. She looked at him, knowing he was distracted at the moment.

"Hey." she said, snatching him from his thoughts. "Whatever is going on in that clever mind of yours can't be better than getting in here with me."  
"Of course it isn't." he smirked, taking his belt off. "I am merely exploring my fantasies."  
"Then get in here so I can make your fantasies reality."

His cock twitched, a shiver running down his body. He undressed himself, then slipped into the water. He sat for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the heat relaxing his muscles. He stretched his arms out onto the top of the tub, his head lolling back. Karliah watched him, taking in the fact that this man, this God that sat in front of her, was hers. He was hers to touch, to torture with pleasure, to do anything she wanted to. She smiled, touching his chest. She ran her slippery hand over it, kissing him on the neck. He sighed, enjoying the attention. She climbed on top of him, her lips traveling up to his mouth now, their tongues dancing together. He breathed heavier now, knowing all she had to do was sit, and he'd slid into her. She held herself up on her knees though, taunting him now. He tried pushing her to sit, but she wouldn't. All she did was laugh.

"What is it Loki?" she asked, kissing his neck. "What do you wish of me?"  
"I want you." he replied, his hands grabbing her ass.  
"Beg." she told him.

He felt himself twitch again. He almost hurt, he wanted her so bad.

"Please." he said smoothly. "Sit."

She bit him hard on the neck, making him moan. He felt himself shaking underneath her now. Their roles certainly had switched awful quickly. She shifted her weight, pushing herself down onto his hard cock. He let out a shuddered breath, burying his face into her chest. He held her tightly for a moment, then put his hands on her hips and moved her around in his lap. She held onto him, her hips moving in tune with the movements he issued from his hands. He licked at her nipple, moving one of his hands up to grab the other. He felt her squeeze his bicep, and he knew she was close. He moved his hips against hers, her moans growing as he did so.

"Yes." she breathed. He smiled, pulling her off of him just as she was going to hit her climax. "No, what are you doing?"

He kissed her, not allowing her back on him. He kept her away for a moment, just kissing her. She whined, and he turned her around, bringing her back to his lap afterwards. He felt himself slid into her with ease, his body shuddering again. He couldn't remember a time he had ever been so aroused. The water made it so easy for him to move in and out of her, intensifying the feeling that much more.

He felt it in his stomach, he was going to cum soon. He rested his forehead against her back, holding her breasts in his hands as he pushed himself into her harder. She moaned at him, her walls contracting around him as her orgasm hit. He felt her start to move her hips in a circular motion, making his stomach lurch at the pleasure. She moved faster, and he couldn't handle it anymore. He spurt his orgasm into her, holding her tightly as he did so. She rested herself against him, catching her breath. When he was done, she moved off of him, smiling.

"What?" he said.  
"Nothing." she replied, kissing him. "That was just good."  
"Good?"  
"Yes."  
"That will not do." he replied. "Give me a moment, it will be better than good."

She laughed, her arousal still intense. She knew she was in for a long night, but did not argue about this for even a moment. She smiled at him seductively, waiting for his own arousal to return.


	23. Flutters

Karliah admired herself in the mirror, her belly uncovered from her shirt. She turned, seeing how much it had grown. She hadn't looked at her own reflection in a while. She had grown accustomed to the maidservants doing her hair and things, she had no need to look at herself. It had been a few weeks, and she had noticed herself growing, but had not taken a moment to just look. She rubbed it, smiling at the sight. She looked to Loki, who was sitting on the seat at the end of their bed.

"I'm so big." she told him.

He looked up to her, smiling.

"That is to be expected." he replied.

She laughed, looking down at herself. Then she felt it. She felt a flutter, something she'd never felt before in her life. She was still for a moment, her hands hovering above her skin. It intensified for a moment and she put her hands on her belly. She gasped, making Loki stand.

"Loki come here!" she said, and he did so. "Feel this!"

Loki placed his hand where she told him, feeling the movements underneath. He looked up at her, his heart fluttering. He smiled slightly, not believing it was real.

"It's moving!" she said, tears in her eyes. "Oh my gosh, it's moving around!"

Loki felt tears in his own eyes as they stared at each other, feeling the movement of their child.

"I…" he said. "I cannot believe this."

She wiped her tears, her smile not leaving her face. He moved his hands to her cheeks, kissing her forehead.

"I love you." he told her.  
"I love you." she replied. "What do you think it'll be?"

Loki smirked.

"Ours."  
"That's not what I meant." she laughed.  
"Perhaps we should ask my mother to tell us."  
"No." she said, looking back at her reflection. "I want it to be a surprise…."  
"Do you have a preference?"  
"Eh." she said, shrugging. "I always imagined having a daughter. Just cuz me and my Mom were so close, I always thought about having a daughter."

Loki could see herself grow sad as she thought of her family. He rubbed her shoulders, trying to distract her from this. There was a knock on the door and Karliah pulled her shirt down over her belly. She was wearing her shirt and jeans today, the ones she had worn the first day she had come to Asgard. They did not fit her well now, he shirt barely stretching around her belly, and her pants hard to button. She couldn't help it though, missing what she used to wear.

They watched Frigga walk into the room, smiling at the sight of Karliah.

"Hello dear." she said, hugging her. "You're getting difficult to hug everyday."

Karliah smiled.

"Hello to you too, mother." Loki said, laughing.  
"Hello son." Frigga said, looking at him.  
"I find it very hurtful that you greet her before me."  
"Well maybe you should bare my grandchild instead." she smiled, hugging Loki. Karliah laughed. "I have come to check on your progress, it's been a few days since we have spoken."  
"We actually just felt it moving."

Frigga looked down at Karliah's swollen belly, reaching her hands out. She smiled at Loki.

"Are you two as excited as I am?" she asked.

Karliah had noticed that Frigga got more and more excited about the baby every time she checked on Karliah.

"I assure you we are growing restless with our anticipation." Loki replied, smiling at Karliah.  
"I'm ok with waiting longer." Karliah spoke up, knowing the delivery would be hard on her.

Frigga seemed to know what she meant. She looked up to her, her smile gone now, replaced with a concerned look.

"I know you are frightened." she started. "But you are well looked after. I promise, the Gods will do everything they can. Hlin will be with you, and Freya has agreed to help in any way. And I will be there."  
"I will aswell." Loki said.  
"No." Frigga told him.  
"What?"

They looked at each other for a moment. This was clearly news to Loki, and Karliah knew he was going to argue. Frigga apparently did too, waving her hand at him.

"You will only be a distraction to her."  
"This is my wife and my child that is being born, I will not leave her side knowing there is a chance she might…. Be hurt."  
"Loki-"  
"I will not leave her side." he repeated.

Frigga sighed, then nodded reluctantly.

"Alright." she agreed, stepping back from Karliah. "You are well. I will see you in a few days."

Karliah smiled, bowing to her.

"Thank you." she said.

* * *

"She is not doing well."  
"What is wrong?"  
"Her body is weak… The child grows, but lives off of her. A God cannot be sustained by a mortal's energy. She is weak. I fear she will not have enough energy for the birth."  
"What do we do?"  
"Give her magic."  
"She has learned to block out my magic."  
"She is smart."  
"She is stubborn."  
"She is a mother that is concerned for her child's safety, of course she is stubborn."  
"This brings me back to my original question-"  
"I do not know Loki… For the first time in a long time, I do not know."  
"You are frightened." Loki said, looking at his mother. It made his heart race. "You cannot be frightened, you are the only thing that keeps us positive about this, if you are unsure she will have a breakdown."  
"I have not given up, my son. I am just unsure."  
"Does Hlin have anything to say about her current health?"  
"She can do nothing." Frigga said, sighing. "She has no control over it. She cannot protect the mortal from death… There is only one person who can do that."

Loki knew that his mother referred to the God of the Underworld. He had never met the God, but knew Hades was a foul man who took anyone he wanted at anytime. Some of the other Gods thought this to be unfair play, but it was his right as the ruler of Hel. Loki grew angry at the thought of the God taking Karliah away from him. All of the souls in Hel belonged to Hades. None left without his permission, which he never gave.

Loki looked at his mother.

"I will not let her die." he said firmly.

Frigga saw his anger, feeling sympathy for her son.

"I will do everything I can, Loki."

He hugged her, feeling himself cut her off from his feelings. He walked away after saying goodbye, wishing to be alone. He didn't even go back to his chambers where he knew his wife lay in bed resting, waiting for him to join her. No, Loki had other plans in mind. He walked down the stairs of the castle, quickly leaving the doors and walking down the bifrost. Heimdall seemed to know he was coming.

"Open it." Loki said, not intending to give the guardian a choice. "Open it now, or I will do it myself."  
"When shall I send the Allfather to retrieve you?"  
"Never. I will protect my own family." Loki spat, walking past him.

Heimdall followed, opening the bifrost for Loki.

"I wish you luck, my prince."

Loki felt the familiarity of himself being forced through the realms, but knew this time he would not be landing on Earth's grass. He felt his anger rising again, his heart pounding against his ribcage. When his travel was over, when his feet landed on the ground, Loki looked around, seeing nothing but a cold waste-land in front of him. He smirked, unable to do anything except laugh at his anger. His wife would not be a subject in this realm. She would not be a resident of Hel.


	24. Dealing With the Devil

**Hey guys. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I have been going through a hard past two days, so I have been distracted. I am going to keep trying to write after this is published, so hopefully you guys will have another chapter up tonight. Cross your paws. I love you all! 3**

* * *

Loki walked across the fog of the realm he was now in, hearing cries of the lost souls that were held captive here. He saw some of them watching his progress, wondering if they could feel anything. Could they feel love, were they sad, or did they enjoy being here? He pushed his thoughts aside, trying to find that barrier inside his mind that he used to have permanently built to protect himself. Karliah had given him so much, made him feel so intensely, that he had almost forgotten how to deflect his own emotions. He did so though, with great concentration, seeing the stairs made of rock that led up to the throne. He hesitated before stepping up, knowing his silver tongue would be tested here. Hades was a hard-headed being, drunk with the power he had over any soul he wanted. Loki couldn't bare to think of Karliah being here. She would be a slave to Hades; he would have complete control over her entire being. Loki felt himself growing angry. He shook this off, knowing his wall was failing to block his emotions. He could not let them show here. It was important that he did not let his love for her show.

"Kneel." Hades said as Loki reached the stop of the stairs. Loki bowed at his feet, hearing the small laughter erupt from the God's throat. "Who are you?"

Loki looked up to him, his heart pounding.

"I am Loki of Asgard."  
"God of Mischief." Hades said, his malicious smile not leaving his face. He looked at the guards next to his chair, then back to Loki. "What do you want?"  
"I pay my respects." Loki said.  
"Do not lie to me, Asgardian." Hades barked, his smile gone quicker than a milisecond.  
"My Lord." Loki said, keeping his demeanor calm. "I have a simple request of you, one that will benefit you greatly."

Hades did not respond, but simply looked at Loki, waiting to hear his offer.

"I am in need of you to release your grasp on a soul-"  
"Karliah." Hades said, his smile returning.

Loki felt his anger re-kindling, but mustered his strength to keep his appearance calm.

"Yes." Loki said.  
"I have seen her… She tempts me. The mortal that you see worthy to have your hand seems worthy enough to share my bed."

Loki knew Hades was manipulating him, but could not stop himself from being defensive. He stood quickly, stopping himself as soon as the guards shifted in preparation for a fight. Loki smiled.

"I have come to offer you a soul." he said. Hades listened again, clearly interested in what Loki had to say. "I offer you one in exchange for hers."

Hades' interest was lost again, shaking his head.

"I want nothing more than a mortal." he said.  
"How about a half-mortal." Loki replied.

Hades searched him, cocking his head.

"How do you own such a soul?" he asked.  
"I have a child." Loki replied, seeing the immediate change in Hades' demeanor.  
"A child?" Hades said, and he chuckled. This man was what true evil looked like.  
"You truly are heartless, Jotun." he said. "You would sell your unborn child's soul to me to keep your pet of a mortal?"  
"Do you deny the value of the soul I offer?" Loki asked, his defenses growing weaker by the second.  
"I have no interest in being a nanny." Hades said, looking offended now.  
"Then what if I offered you this aswell… If you leave Karliah's soul intact, I will give you a soul as a counteroffer and I will give you safe passage into Valhalla."

Hades' head snapped up at Loki's words.

"How is this?" he asked. "Odin is the only who who grants access-"  
"I am able to persuade him."  
"Your silver tongue does not have an effect on him."  
"Oh yes it does." Loki smirked. "He is most vulnerable to my powers. I will need time though, and you may take the child when it is five years of age. This is to be in Asgardian years, not in your own."  
"Why do I have to wait?"  
"I will need time to prepare the child to be here." Loki said. Hades looked annoyed now. "This is all a small detail in what I offer you. We make a deal and you may go to Valhalla and rule there, or you may stay and rot here."  
"I accept your offer, Odinson. I will take the child at five years old, and spare your mortal. Know this though: If another opportunity arises, I will not hesitate to take your precious wife."

Loki bowed, then turned to walk away. As he walked down the stone steps, he felt himself breaking on the inside. He let a tear slip out of his eye, let his emotions spill over for but a second, then snapped himself out of it. He wiped his face quickly, stopping where he had arrived in Hel.

"Heimdall…" he said and he was pulled out of the realm, traveling back to his own. He began feeling sick through the journey, something he had never felt before. His feet touched the ground in Asgard, and he looked at Heimdall.

"Does something trouble you?" he asked.  
"No." Loki snapped, walking out onto the bifrost. The walk back was the longest is had ever been, Loki's thoughts racing through what had just happened. He let more tears fall in his solitary trip, letting every single ounce of guilt and regret well up inside of himself. He couldn't see her now, he could not go visit Karliah. She would know something was wrong, and it would scare her. As he approached the stairs of the castle, Loki knew he had to see Thor. His brother would know what to do.

He went to the dining hall, hearing the laughter of his friends as he approached the doors. He saw them sitting around a little table, enjoying food with each other. Loki stepped in, forcing a smile as his friends greeted him.

"Brother!" Thor said, standing. "Come, enjoy a drink with your friends."  
"I cannot right now, brother." Loki replied. "I need to speak with you."  
"Are you alright?" Thor asked, his smile turning to a look of concern.  
"There is an issue I need to discuss with you."  
"We shall do this then."

Thor and Loki stepped out of the hall, their friends returning to their laughter in the meantime.

"Thor, I have done something….." Loki said, feeling his emotions far from under his control. His voice shook as he forced the words out. "I have made a deal with Hades."

Thor looked almost angry, but his concern was still well-written on his face.

"What have you done?"  
"I… I told him to spare Karliah…" Loki said. "And if he did, I would give him the child in return."

Thor looked disgusted now, shaking his head as he looked at Loki.

"How could you do this?" he asked.  
"I… It is worse than that."  
"What else?!"  
"I promised him safe passage into Valhalla." Thor backed away form Loki, trying to keep his anger under control, punching the wall in the process. Loki tried gathering his words, to justify what he had done, but knew that it was wrong and nothing he could say would ever fix it. He felt tears on his face, his body shaking as he waited for Thor to say something to him. He was overwhelmed with emotion.

Thor grabbed him, looking him in his eyes with great desperation to understand his brother.

"Loki, I have known you to be many things…" he said. "I thought you a changed man-"  
"I am a changed man!" Loki protested. "I am! I don't want Karliah…. I…"

Loki felt it inside himself, he was going to break down. He was scared, that's why he had went to Hades. He let his emotions break out, and hung his head as he cried in front of Thor. Thor's grip loosened as he was taken aback by his brother's display of tears.

"I know you fear for her, brother…" Thor said. "I know you love her… I… You should have went to father first…. As much as you love Karliah, she carries YOUR child… Not a slave to sell to someone as a bargain for her life."

Loki felt a pit in his stomach, forcing more tears out of him.

"I know." he said. "I know it isn't, I just… I didn't know what to do-"  
"Why did you promise him Valhalla?" Thor asked.  
"He wasn't interested in giving up Karliah's soul for an infant's."  
"So you offered him the realm of the honored dead?!"

Loki wiped his face, taking a deep breath to try to regain his composure.

"I have a plan…" he said. "It will require you to lie…."  
"To who?"  
"Odin…"

Thor knew he was going to say this, but was frustrated at the sound of it anyways.

"You want me to lie to my father, to our King? I am a part of the Council, how… If he ever found out…" Thor contemplated.  
"Brother…. I have never asked anything of you…. I have finally found someone I see more important than myself. I love that woman. I really…. Really love her. I cannot just sit by and hope she makes it when the times comes for that child to be born. I will not. I need your help, Thor. Please… Help me." Loki pleaded.

Thor sighed, putting his hand on Loki's shoulder. He nodded hesitantly.

"I remember when you went with me to Jotunheim. You wouldn't let me go by myself…" Thor said. Loki smiled, remembering how they had fought together that day. "I will help you. Tell me what to do."


	25. Worthy

**Thanks for the patience guys, I know I said I was gonna keep posting last night, and I am sorry. Here is another chapter. Don't forget to R&R, it means the world to me! Enjoy!**

* * *

Loki followed Thor into the throne room, feeling his heart pounding against his ribs. They bowed to Odin. Loki could sense Thor's nerves, knowing his brother had a problem with lying. He was depending on him, and Thor knew this, and he would do his damnedest to ensure his brother's safety.

"Father. I have a request of you, and it will take great patience on your part." Thor began.  
"My sons." Odin said. "What do you need of me?"

Thor looked at Loki, and he knew Thor wanted him to speak instead.

"Allfather…" Loki began, but Odin was not listening like Loki hoped he would be.  
"When will you forgive me, Loki?" he asked.

The question caught Loki off-guard. He knitted his eyebrows for a moment, not knowing what to say to him.

"I…" he said, searching for words.  
"I wish for you to forgive me, my son." Odin said, standing and walking down the stairs to them. "I have done wrong by you, and I know that all you have done has rooted back to my lies I have fed you over your lifetime… I do not wish this to be in between us any longer."

Loki couldn't help but to feel sorry for him. It was just typical that the moment Loki needed Odin to focus on being a King, he wanted to be Loki's father instead. He cleared his throat.

"You will need my forgiveness after I request to you what I need." Loki replied.  
"How do you mean, my son?"  
"I have made a deal with Hades."

Just like that, Odin was back to his original look of sternness.

"Why have you taken this upon yourself?" he asked, his voice hinting nothing but anger. "You have just been accepted back into Asgard, and you go dealing with Gods you have no right to be doing so with."  
"Father." Loki said, keeping himself calm. "I have a family to protect… You of all people would understand this…."

Odin's face changed again.

"What was said, Loki?" he asked.  
"I… I told him he could take the child's soul, instead of Karliah's." Loki said, and yet again, Odin was angry.  
"How could you give up a God to Hades?!" Odin yelled. Loki felt himself building up tears again, and realized how normal crying was for him now. He shook his head, looking away from the Allfather. "You have given up your own child?!"  
"I am sorry." Loki said, causing Odin to catch himself.  
"What?"  
"I'm sorry." Loki choked. Odin stared at him. "I know that it was wrong, but if the child goes to Hel, it will rule. A God cannot go the realm of the dead without ruling, that is why Valhalla and Nilfheim exist."

Odin seemed to agree with this, as he was not protesting further. For a moment, he thought, then he shook his head.

"How do you suppose it will rule if Hades is there?" he asked. "Unless it is a Goddess, it will not survive there. Hades will kill it."  
"Hades won't be there."  
"Then where will he be?"

Loki took a deep breath, knowing this was the part that Odin would hate.

"I promised him he would have access to Valhalla." Odin did not speak. He stared at Loki. "As he knows, though, I do not possess the power to take him there, you do. I told him I would talk you into taking him there. He does, however, have to put trust in you when the time comes, because you have no promises to him. You can literally take him wherever you please."

Odin surveyed Loki. He looked to Thor, as if he had forgotten he'd been kneeling there.

"What do you think of this?" he asked.  
"I support Loki's choices, although they should have been approved first. I understand he did it to protect his wife, and this I can respect. I would do anything for Jane…" Thor said, faltering slightly, then looking back up. "I know what he feels, and I wish Karliah to live aswell. I will do what needs to be done to achieve this."

Loki couldn't help but smile, admiring his brother's loyalty to him. Thor put his hand on Loki's shoulder, as if he knew Loki was touched by this without even looking at him.

"I should have known you two would have caused me such trouble when you were younger."

Thor laughed.

"You would think you would have." Loki said, smiling.  
"I had an idea, though I knew not how far it would have gone." Odin said, smiling aswell. "You two are good men, though you have needed to prove yourselves before I saw it's highest potential."  
"You will need to deceive Hades, father." Loki told him. "You will need to make him believe he is going to Valhalla, and you can bring him wherever you please."  
"I will not." Odin said.  
"What?"  
"I will not." he repeated.  
"You must-"  
"I will allow you to do what you have planned, but I will bring him to a realm on my own terms."  
"He will not except anything else." Loki said, feeling panic rising inside himself.  
"Then we will deal with the consequences of this-"  
"No." Loki said, raising his voice. It caused Odin to stare at him. "I will not let that happen."  
"Loki, you must let me do this my way-"  
"No, because your way would let Karliah be taken by him if that's what would settle Hades' anger."  
"You think my harsh?"  
"I think you do not understand what love I feel for her."  
"I understand well, Loki, but it is the way of life-"  
"No." Loki said, standing now.  
"She is a mortal-"  
"I don't care!" Loki yelled.

The room was silent after Loki's voice echoed off the walls. Thor stood too, watching Loki intently. Odin stepped forward, putting his hands on Loki's shoulders.

"I know this is difficult for you son… But so long as she is mortal, she is able to be taken by Hades."

Loki thought for a moment, letting his father's words sink in. He looked up at him, his anger subsiding.

"You would allow me to give her one?" he asked.  
"I would allow the Council of Gods to gather in order to agree upon it." Odin corrected.  
"What if they say no?"  
"I will tell them if she is not to be a God, she will still eat one."  
"I'm sorry, am I missing something?" Thor asked.  
"Gather the Gods." Odin told him. "We will assemble today."

* * *

Loki quietly opened the door to his chambers, seeing Karliah laying on the bed. He smiled, walking over to her slowly. He kneeled down at her bedside, brushing the hair out of her face softly. She stirred, rubbing her face from the tickle of his soft touch. Her eyes opened, the brown shining in the light. She smiled at him, leaning forward and kissing him before saying anything.

"Where have you been?" she asked.  
"I had some business to take care of." he replied. "Have you been resting like this all day?"  
"I was sick this morning." she said as she sat up. "I layed down cuz I was bored and stuff."  
"I'm sorry."  
"You should've brought me with you."  
"I went to another realm."  
"Oh." she said, letting her legs hang off the side of the bed. "Which one?"

Loki knew he couldn't tell her where he was without telling her everything. She had to know, though, he couldn't keep secrets from her. He took a deep breath.

"I have made a mistake." he told her. "I have made a mess of things, and I want you to listen to me before you get angry."  
"Oh boy." Karliah said, walking over to the table. She lifted a goblet to her lips, waiting for Loki to start his story.  
"I went to Hel."  
"What?" she laughed.  
"I went to the realm of the dead."  
"Oh it's a realm?" she said. "Why would you go there?"  
"To protect you."

She gave him a look, knowing he had really done something wrong.

"What happened?" she asked hesitantly.  
"Please, don't get angry…" he said.  
"Just tell me Loki."  
"I made a deal with Hades, the ruler of Hel."  
"Ok…"  
"I told him if he spared you, he could have another soul instead."  
"Did you sell him Earth instead?"

Loki smiled, knowing she hadn't meant it to hurt him. She often poked fun at him for previously wanting to destroy Midgard. He allowed himself to laugh, knowing she would be yelling at him in a moment's time.

"No." he said. "I did not."  
"Who?"  
"The child…"  
"What child?" she asked. He stepped closer to her, putting his hands on her swollen belly. Her face turned from curiosity to anger, as he had expected it would. "What?!"  
"Karliah, listen-"  
"You sold my child to the devil?!" she yelled. "Loki, how could you do that?! It's our child, a little helpless baby!"  
"I know, Karliah…. Listen to me." he said, grabbing her shoulders to make her looked at him. "I know what I'm doing."

She took a few deep breaths, trying to convince herself that Loki would never do such a thing. She trusted him.

"What is your plan?" she asked through her teeth.  
"The child will be the new ruler." he said.  
"In Hel?!"  
"Yes." he said, not letting her go although she fought against him. "Yes, it will, but it will be alive. And you will be too."  
"So you are telling me that I am to push this baby out and hand it over to the devil so it can rule Hel and I'll never see it again?"  
"Absolutely not." Loki replied, knowing he wasn't getting through to her. "I am telling you that when the child is five years of age, it will be taken to Hel and will never ever even see Hades. It will rule, it will be happy, not harmed."  
"And I'll never see it?"  
"You will raise it-"  
"For five years?"  
"Yes."  
"Five years, Loki, do you know how old I am?"  
"Yes."  
"Ok, do you know how long my parents raised me for?"  
"No-"  
"Eighteen." she said, her arms folded now. "Eighteen years, and if you didn't notice, they were still trying to parent me when I told them I was leaving to live here."  
"I noticed."  
"I'm not giving my child to anyone."  
"Do not think of it in that sense."  
"What other sense do I think of it in?!"

Loki sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be budged on this.

"Please trust me." he asked.  
"I am NOT giving my child to ANYONE." she repeated, getting out of his grasp and walking away.  
"You are needed in the throne room today." he told her before she left the room.

She turned to him.

"What?" she said.  
"The Council of Gods assembles for you."  
"For me? Why?"  
"They are going to determine how you will survive the birth."  
"I thought your mother already had that figured out."  
"If she did, do you think I would've went to Hades like I did?"

Karliah looked away from him, her arms still folded.

"What do they want then? They gonna send me back to Earth?"  
"No." Loki laughed. He quickly stopped smiling, knowing it would only make her more angry. "No, they are not. Odin has given me an idea of how to fix what I've done. The Gods have to approve it though, and they need you to do so."  
"Stop avoiding my question Loki, your powers don't work on me."  
"They want to make you immortal."

Karliah seemed taken aback.

"Why?"  
"You would live."  
"That's all? Why do they have to decide that then, I'm a citizen of Asgard, it's Odin's decision."  
"Odin wants to make you a God." Her arms fell out of their position of being crossed to hang by her sides. She stepped closer to him. "I know this is sudden-"  
"Sudden?" she breathed. "This is out of nowhere, why would they make me a God, I don't have special powers, I… What?!"  
"Karliah, breathe." Loki said. "It is nothing painful, it is a few simple words-"  
"A few simple words?!" she said. "A few simple words allowed you to have all your powers?"  
"No."  
"So what then? What am I going to be? How do they tell what I should be?"  
"They are Gods, they know what you should and should not be."  
"Apparently I shouldn't be a mother." Karliah scoffed.

Loki hung his head, wishing she wasn't so angry. He touched her face, looking into her eyes. She seemed to relax slightly.

"Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" he asked softly.  
"Well… Besides telling me you tried to destroy Earth, and that you're the God of Lies…" she said, smiling.

He laughed.

"There is that." he agreed. "I love you."  
"I love you too, but-"  
"I would never let you do something that would hurt you. You are mine to protect."

They rested their foreheads against each other's, Karliah letting him talk himself out of the trouble he'd caused.

"Promise I'll be able to see it when I want to?" she asked.  
"I cannot promise what the future holds… But I can do my best to make sure you are satisfied with what happens."

She pushed her lips against his, knowing she had to trust him. He was her husband, and this is how a relationship worked. She was scared of what was happening, but he was the one thing here that was guranteed to always have. He was her God, her mate, and she would stand by him in what he was telling her she needed to do. She pulled away from him, looking into his perfect emerald eyes.

"What do I do now?" she asked.  
"I should get ready." he told her. "They are gathering as we speak."  
"I suppose Thor will vote in my favor."  
"It is safe to say you have his vote."

She smiled, walking over to her wardrobe slowly.

"What do I wear?" she asked.  
"Anything you desire." he replied, walking to the door of the room. "I will be waiting for you down there."  
"Ok." she said, watching him leave the room.

* * *

Karliah's heart pounded as she slowly descended down the staircase to the throne room. Her belly had proved to make stairs a challenge for her now, not being able to see her feet anymore. A guard ran to her aide as they saw her coming down them, taking her hand to support her weight as she worked her way to the bottom level of the castle.

"Thank you." she said, feeling slightly helpless. It made her laugh.  
"You are most welcome." he said, smiling with her. "You are growing quickly now, my lady."  
"Yeah." she said, putting her hand on her belly. "It moves around a lot now."  
"This is good to hear indeed, my lady."

He let go of her when she was off of the stairs, bowing to her.

"You don't have to bow to me." she told him.  
"It is my duty, m'am." he said, rising from his bend. "I wish you the best of luck amongst the Gods."  
"Thank you." she said, watching him walk away.

She walked over to the doors that concealed the throne room, knowing the Gods were waiting for her. She took a deep breath, pushing the doors open. She walked into the room, feeling the Gods all staring at her. She imagined this is exactly what Loki had felt like the day he came back from Earth. She saw him standing with Frigga, where she was watching him on that day. He smiled at her beauty. She stopped in front of Odin, doing her best to bow.

"Rise, Karliah." he said, and she did so. "You have been summoned here to be considered by the Gods to join their ranks. I address the Council of Gods now, expressing the danger this mortal is in."  
"How is this any different from the first time we saw her?" Tyr asked.  
"The child grows stronger as she grows weaker. She will not live through the birth." Frigga told them.  
"You did not foresee this before?"  
"I did not."  
"This is a pointless fact." Odin stated. "Whether it was foreseen or not, she is still in danger. It has been considered that she may eat an apple from the branches of Yggdrasil."  
"She has not done anything to prove herself worthy of this."  
"She has brought Loki back as a changed man, and she has married him. That alone makes her worthy enough."  
"Frigga is not a God just because of who she married, Allfather." Freyr spoke up.  
"I agree with this, but she is capable of things that not every mortal is."  
"My lady, please tell us what you see special about yourself." Freyr said to Karliah.

She didn't know what to say to this. She had never really thought of herself as special. She looked at Loki, wishing he'd speak for her, but knew he was not allowed to. She looked back to the Gods, half shrugging at them.

"I'm…. I'm good at giving advice." she said.  
"We are not asking what you are good at, we are asking what makes you worthy of being immortal."  
"I… A God belongs to me." she said. "I can call him, and he will fight for me. I am immune to his powers."  
"How do you do this?" Baldur asked.  
"I don't know." Karliah shrugged. "I just don't let him do it."  
"Allfather, the Council would like to see this."

Odin nodded, signaling Loki to step forward. Loki obeyed.

"My son, I would like to see you multiply yourself." Loki did so, four holograms appearing by the real one. Odin looked at Karliah. "Show us, my dear."

Karliah looked at Loki, stepping toward the one she knew was real. The others seemed to flicker, weakening as she moved to be inches from him. She touched his face, causing his powers to diminish. He fought against what she did to him as best as he could, but they would not reappear. She took her hand away, allowing him to rejoin Frigga. She looked at the other Gods, waiting for them to tell her what they thought of the performance.

"How do we know he did not aid her?" Baldur asked.  
"We trust her, like I trust all of you to make the best decisions for our worlds." Odin replied. "Unless you'd like to see her try it on the Council."

Karliah could see Baldur was considering it. He looked to Freya, and she stood.

"I will do it." she said, stepping towards Karliah.

Karliah did not like this. Freya was a friend to her, and a good one. She had a duty, though, and would do it even if it meant that Karliah would die. She didn't seem happy about it, looking hesitant as she approached Karliah.

"Freya, what will you do to her?" Odin asked.  
"I would like her to make me non-pleasing to the eyes." Freya replied.

Karliah tried imagining what Freya would look like, if she were not beautiful. She was the God of beauty, how would Karliah rob her of her looks? She stepped forward, touching her hand to the Goddess' face. Her skin changed underneath Karliah's hand. Her golden hair changed to grey, her skin drying out. Freya grew scared of the touch quickly and recoiled, her beauty restoring. She touched her face, as if reassuring herself she was back to normal. Karliah looked at the Council, hearing their gasps at the sight. A few of them stood, looking at Freya's restored face.

"Satisfied, my Gods?" Odin asked.

Thor stood, walking towards Karliah. She knew what he was going to do before he stopped in front of her.

"You may be able to strip Gods of their powers, but can you take them as your own?" he asked.  
"I don't know." she replied, watching him sit Mjolnir down on the ground.  
"Let's find out." he told her. "Lift it."

She looked at Odin, then back to Thor. She looked down at the hammer. It was intimidating to be offered Thor's powers, knowing he was the only one that could lift it besides Odin. She grabbed the handle and took a deep breath before she pulled.

The Gods murmered as the hammer lifted with ease, causing Karliah to be just as shocked as they all were. She let it rest in her hands, looking up from it to meet Thor's gaze. He smiled at her.

"How…?" she asked.  
"You are worthy." he told her.


	26. New Friendships

**Another chapter for the faithful readers of mine. Thanks guys, please rate and review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Karliah watched as Thor walk back over to the other Gods, taking Mjolnir with him. She looked at Loki, who seemed to not want to make eye contact with her. She looked to Odin, wondering what would happen now.

"Any God who doesn't see her as worthy of being immortal shall speak now." he told them. None spoke, making Karliah feel a bit of relief. She smiled. "And now to determine whether or not she is to be one of us."  
"She has powers that would be very powerful as a God." Tyr said.  
"They could also help her during birth." Freyr said. "Any powers her child could use would be diminished for the duration of the labor."  
"Do we have an agreement then?" Odin asked.  
"The Council agrees that she shall be one of us." Thor said.

Odin stepped down, grabbing his sceptor on the way over to Karliah.

"Karliah, Wife of Loki, you will eat a Golden Apple from the tree of Yggdrasil, and become immortal." he told her. "I also proclaim you the Goddess of Diminishment. You have the power to take away powers that other Gods possess, aswell as using them for yourself. Welcome to our ranks, mortal."  
"Thank you." she said, bowing her head.  
"The Council is dismissed." Odin said, bowing to the other Gods.

Loki and Karliah sat at their table, eating dinner silently. Loki had thought she'd been rather quiet since they had been done at the assembly. He reached out and touched her hand, making her look up at him as she swallowed her food.

"Are you alright?" he asked.  
"Yeah."  
"You lie."

She smiled.

"I just feel like I have nothing left of my home. I'm changing too, not just my surroundings."  
"You would have no need to change if it wasn't important."  
"I know." she replied, looking down at her belly. She rubbed it, smiling. When she looked up at him though, she was crying.  
"Karliah-"  
"I don't know anything about being a mother." she told him. "I'm having a baby. Me, a baby. And I don't know how to take care of it, I don't know how to do anything but love it."

Loki stood, taking her into his arms. He let her cry for a moment, stroking his long fingers through her hair. He kissed her head gently.

"You are not alone." he told her. "I know you are frightened, I am aswell. We have people here to help us. I promise, you will do well."  
"I'm not worried about doing well." she said, looking up at him. "What if it doesn't love me? I already love it so much, and what if in two years, it grows to not like me anymore?"

Loki wiped her tears.

"It will love you forever." he said. "There is no way it could not."

She kissed him, her wet face touching his. He felt her belly against him, making him break the kiss to look down. He put his hands on it, making her smile.

"I know it's gonna love you." she told him.  
"How do you figure that?" he asked, not looking up at her.  
"Because you've known what it's like to feel abandoned by a parent. You want to be a better father. I know it."

Loki felt himself growing weak, knowing she was right. He looked at her, wishing she could erase everything he'd done in his past.

"I do." he agreed. "I do want to be better."  
"I'm proud of you." she said, touching his face.  
"For what?"  
"Changing."  
"You did it."  
"No, I showed you how to do it, you are the one who changed."  
"I still wish I would have never touched the Tesseract." he said, feeling ashamed of himself. "I wish I would have never came here with such intentions."  
"I don't know about that…" Karliah said, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm glad you tried taking over the world. Otherwise you wouldn't have been sent to Earth."  
"I suppose that is true." he agreed. He leaned into her touch, loving the affection. "Kiss me."

She smiled, pressing her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let her go.

* * *

Karliah walked out of the castle, wishing to see the horses again. She peeked into the stables before walking in, making sure she would be alone. She walked over to the black horse, smiling as he whinnied. She pet him, taking in the smell of the animal.

"Why do you come here all the time?" a voice cooed from the doorway. Karliah knew she hadn't seen Sigyn since the wedding. She turned, causing Sigyn to take in what she now looked like with a baby bump. She stepped closer, not looking away from her stomach. "You are…. So big now."

Sigyn looked up at her.

"Pardon me." she said.  
"It's ok." Karliah replied. "Ya know, Sigyn, I uh… I would be a wreck if I knew the man I loved was happy with another woman… I'm sorry that you feel-"

Sigyn laughed.

"You think I am in love with Loki?" she asked.  
"Well… Yeah?"  
"Oh, my lady… I do not love him. I am the Goddess of Devotion. I am forced to be loyal to him… Loyalty is my power, he earned it long ago, and I have been loyal to him since."

Karliah's view on the Goddess suddenly changed from jealousy to sympathy.

"You don't want to be loyal to him?"  
"I wish I wasn't, but it will not change."  
"Wanna bet?" Karliah asked, touching her face.

Something changed within Sigyn. She looked relieved, like a burden was lifted from her. Karliah took her hand away, making her return to her original state.

"You need to remember who you are, and that you are a God. You have control over your powers, not Loki. Loki has his own strengths, and you have yours. He does not own you, and you don't belong to him. You are your own." Karliah told her.

Sigyn smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Thank you." she said. "Thank you for showing me that."

Karliah smiled.

"You are very welcome." she replied.  
"I wish to be your friend. Honestly, I do."  
"Then you are."  
"You do not hate me, my lady?"  
"Only if you keep calling me that."

They laughed.

* * *

Karliah awoke from her sleep, sitting up quickly. She held her belly, feeling an extreme amount of pressure. She grabbed at Loki, squeezing his arm as soon as she felt him in her grasp. It made him stir.

"Loki." she gasped. "Loki wake up..."

He sat up, putting his hand on her back.

"What's wrong?" he said sleepily, rubbing his face with his absent hand.

"I don't know." she said, wincing at her pain. "Something's... Something's happening."

"Is it the baby?" he asked, waking up quickly now.

"I think so..." she breathed.

"I'm going to get my mother." he said, getting out of the bed. "Stay here, ok? I'll be right back, I swear."

Loki left the room quickly, leaving Karliah alone. She breathed through her pain, feeling it begin to subside. She felt tears on her face. She looked around the room, knowing it was time for her baby to be born.


	27. The End

**Ok guys, this is the LAST chapter for my story. As much as I love doing this, my ending has come. I do hope to get enough ideas for a sequel, but as of right now, I am done with it. (: Thank you so much and I hope you guys enjoyed! Please don't forget to rate and review, and feel free to PM me with ideas for a sequel. That'd be awesome! I hope you enjoy this last one!**

* * *

"Oh my god, it hurts!" Karliah screamed as she felt another contraction run through her abdomen. Her maidservant wiped her forehead to cool her down, but nothing would ever comfort Karliah right now.  
"Breathe, Karliah." Frigga said. "You have to focus, stay calm."

Karliah could hear Hlin speaking in a different language, one she'd never heard before. She could hear Freya in the room, responding to Frigga as she told her what she needed from her. Karliah kept her eyes closed, feeling sick whenever she saw the lights of the room. She wanted Loki, but could not tell if he was there. She felt fingers inserted inside of herself, feeling how dilated she was now. She screamed at the sensitivity, wishing she could just go back to sleep and skip this whole thing. She reached out, trying to find her God, but no one responded.

"Loki." she breathed. "… Loki…"  
"It's ok, Karliah, everything is going to be alright." Freya said, touching her shoulder.  
"I want Loki."  
"He cannot see you like this-" Frigga said.  
"I want Loki!" Karliah screamed.

There was silence for a moment. Frigga continued her work as Freya left Karliah's bedside.

* * *

"Let me go!"  
"Brother, you must not go in there!"  
"She needs me!"  
"Loki!" Thor said, holding his brother away from the door to Karliah's chambers. Loki stopped for a moment, feeling his body growing weak from the restraints. "She is going to live."

Loki stared at him, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face. He slumped against Thor, catching his breath.

"Brother, if you do not let me see my wife, you will regret ever touching me." he said through his teeth.  
"Mother told me to keep you out here."  
"I do not care!" Loki shouted, fighting against Thor's strength again. "Let go of me!"

Loki cried harder, hearing Karliah's screams from the other side of the door. It opened, making Loki stop as he looked at Freya.

"She wants you." she said.

Thor let go of Loki, and he ran into the room. Rushing to her bedside, Loki wiped his face. He had to be strong for her, although he was in the weakest mindset he'd ever been in before. He ran his fingers through her hair and she grasped his hand. He let her squeeze it as much as she needed to.

"It's ok." he said soothingly. "I'm here."  
"Loki…" she replied.  
"I'm here."  
"It hurts."

He looked down at his mother. There was so much blood, it shook him to the core. Frigga looked at him, shaking her head.

"Give it to me." he said.  
"No."  
"Give me the apple!" he yelled.  
"Loki, she can't eat it now, she has to wait!"  
"Give it to me or I will take it!"

Frigga was still, angry that he was acting like he was. He knew he shouldn't have yelled at her, but did not regret his actions. She handed him the apple from her robes, not saying another word to him. He looked at it for a moment, admiring it's golden beauty. He then looked at Karliah.

"Karliah, I need you to eat this." he told her.  
"No-"  
"You have to."

She looked at him desperately, but he put it to her lips anyways. She bit down weakly, tasting the sweet juices that leaked into her mouth. She closed her eyes, enjoying the taste for just a small moment. She chewed it, swallowing with great difficulty. She felt her abdomen tense again, making her scream in pain. Loki cried at the sight of her, putting his hand on her shoulder. He drew on his magic, easing her pain. She took another bite of the apple as he touched it to her lips. They did this slowly until the apple was gone. Loki was growing tired from using his magic so much, putting all of his energy into her so that she would feel as little pain as possible.

"She needs to push now." Frigga said, checking Karliah's dilation once more.

Loki nodded, looking back to Karliah.

"You need to push." he said.  
"I can't."  
"Yes you can."  
"I can't do this." she said, shaking her head. "I can't."  
"Karliah, yes you can." he said, making her look at him. "This baby… It's ready to be born. You can't stop this. Don't you wish it to be healthy and happy and to love it? Do you not wish to meet it, to hold it?"

Karliah nodded.

"Then you need to push." he told her, crying again. "Push, Karliah."

Karliah listened to him, pushing down in her abdomen. After doing this for a while, she felt herself growing tired. Her head pounded, and she felt no strength to keep pushing. Just as she was ready to give up, she felt the pressure vanish, thinking Loki was healing her again. She looked up at him, but he was not looking at her. She looked over at the noise she heard now, the small cry of a baby.

"It's a girl." Frigga said.

Loki stared in awe of the infant that Frigga wrapped in a blanket now. She looked up to him, tears in her own eyes as she handed the child to him. He took it, feeling as though he could never handle something more gently. The child was calm now, still and content in the bundle of warmth. He felt his heart melting, not expecting how precious this moment was going to be. He looked down at his daughter, his creation, amazed at how small a life could be. He looked at Karliah, letting her look at the infant.

"It's a girl." he told her.  
"I have a daughter…" Karliah said sleepily, holding her hands out.

He slowly gave her the baby, letting her cry in happiness at the life they had made together. She touched the child's hand, smiling down at her. Loki put his hands over his mouth, overwhelmed with what he saw before him. He looked at his mother, hugging her. She cried with him for a moment, then he walked away, wishing to tell his brother of the news. He opened the doors, making Thor look back at him.

"It's a girl." he said through his tears.

Thor smiled, bringing him into a hug.

"Congratulations, my brother!" he said, smiling his wide smile.  
"Come and see." Loki said.  
"No, Loki. I will come and see when Karliah is better."

Loki remembered how in-decent Karliah looked at the moment, and agreed this was the best.

"I must return to her."  
"Of course, go, my brother." Thor said, letting Loki go back into the room.

He returned to Karliah's bedside, enjoying the moments of happiness that lasted into the late hours of the night.

* * *

Karliah woke up, wishing she hadn't. She knew this was the day that she was going to say goodbye, the day her daughter would be leaving for another realm. She sat up, noticing Loki was not by her. She got out of bed, changing from her sleeping gown to a dress. After she readied herself, she left the room, going down the stairs to the dining hall. She opened the doors silently, hearing her daughter's laughter throughout the room. She smiled as she saw Hela and Loki sitting together.

"Show me again." she said, looking up at her father.

Loki waved his hand, purple snakes appearing on the floor in front of the steps they sat on. She clapped, laughing at his magic. He smiled too. Karliah would miss seeing them together. Loki truly loved his daughter, and was going to miss her a lot.

"Show me now." he told her.

Hela waved her hand, purple snakes appearing next to Loki's.

"Very good." he praised, looking up to see Karliah.  
"Mother, look!" she said, pointing to her snakes.  
"That is very good, dear." Karliah smiled.  
"Ready?" Loki asked Hela. "One, two, three."

They waved their hands together, making their snakes disappear at the same time. Hela hugged Loki.

"I'm going to miss you, father."  
"And I you, my dear." he replied, and Karliah saw the hurt he was feeling.  
"Do I really have to leave?" she asked, looking at her mother.  
"Yes." Karliah said, kneeling down to match her eye level with Hela's.  
"Remember that you will always be welcome here, though." Loki said. "You are an Agardian, and the bifrost will be open to you anytime you wish it to be."  
"I am going to miss you both dearly." she said.  
"We will be missing you too." Loki said, standing now. He took Hela's hand into his own, walking with her to leave the room. Karliah walked on the other side of her, holding her hand aswell.

Handing his daughter over to rule another realm was hard for Loki. He had tried to prepare himself many times for what it would feel like to see her leave, waving goodbye to him and Karliah as she did so, but nothing he ever told himself prepared him for the depression he felt after she was gone. He was left staring after her, knowing it was his fault, knowing if he had been smarter about his actions, she would be able to stay here. Karliah took his hand as they stood on the bifrost, and he knew he would see his beloved daughter again. He had taught her much in the five years he'd been able to, and she would be a great ruler. He looked to Karliah, seeing the tears on her face.

"I hope that you will forgive me someday." he told her, wiping her face gently.  
"I do not blame you Loki. I love you. You did this so I would live, and our daughter will make us proud." she replied, squeezing his hand. "We will see her again. Hel is in better hands, and Hades is now in Nilfheim. The Gods treat him like a slave as he did to every mortal soul in Hel. We've raised her well. She will be great."

Loki smiled, loving his wife's promising words. He kissed her, trying to find peace in the situation. He walked back into the gates of Asgard with her, knowing she was his peace, and as long as she was by his side, he would be happy. And that is exactly what he was: Happy.

* * *

**Alright, so that's it. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please PM me with ideas if you have them, I'm totally open for suggestions, although I have like one or two ideas right now. Obviously, one or two doesn't make a story, though, so please feel free to giving suggestions. Again, it's been fun and I love all the support I've given so far! Thanks to everyone!**


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